Ion bombardment-induced nanocrystallization of magnetron-sputtered chromium carbide thin films

► Sputter deposition of amorphous and nanocrystalline Cr3C2 films with high hardness. ► Transfomation from amorphous to nanocrystalline phase as a function of bias voltage. ► Reason: enhanced densification combined with atomic mobility and structure relaxation. ► Universal relationship between deposition and ion impact ratio for densification.