Arc plasma deposition of TiSiN/Ni nanoscale multilayered coatings

► TiSiN/Ni multilayers with bilayer periods Λ of 7.3-26.7 nm were prepared. ► Nanostructures with very small crystallite size (3-4 nm) were formed. ► Improved stress level and adhesion were obtained with decreasing Λ from 27 to 7 nm. ► The best wear resistance was found for the multilayers with bilayer period of 15 nm.