Mechanical properties and tribological behavior at micro and macro-scale of WC/WCN/W hierarchical multilayer coatings

It is known that a hierarchical configuration helps to improve adhesion to the substrate and reduce the effects that generate a sharp change in a conventional multilayer coating, like interface stresses. We present a study of the mechanical properties and tribological behavior at the micro and macro scale of WC/WCN/W multilayer coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering, combining soft and hard layers with a hierarchical architecture. Variations in the number of layers and thicknesses, as well as the distribution within the coating are determinant to obtain the adequate mechanical properties in order to reduce the wear rate. It was found that the coating with high hierarchical configuration presented lower wear rates, in comparison to single layer and low hierarchical configuration coatings.