Thermal stability of TiAlN/CrN multilayer coatings studied by atom probe tomography

► TiAlN/CrN multilayer coating is stable in vacuum at temperatures up to 600 °C. ► TiAlN layers start to decompose at 700 °C in Al- and Ti-rich layers (not spinodally). ► Decomposition of TiAlN/CrN is not uniform and more severe in the surface region. ► Fe and V intensively diffuse from the substrate into TiAlN/CrN coating at 1000 °C.