Structural, mechanical and electrical-contact properties of nanocrystalline-NbC/amorphous-C coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering

► The microstructure in the nc-NbC/a-C coatings depends strongly on the carbon content. ► Coating properties are strongly dependent on the amount of amorphous carbon. ► Lowest contact resistance is found for the coating containing 38% of a-C phase. ► nc-NbC/a-C is a potential material for electrical contact applications.