Structural, chemical, optical and mechanical properties of Au doped AlN sputtered coatings

With annealing at 400 °C the precipitation of XRD detectable Au nanoparticles was possible, originating SPR light absorption. The AlN + Au coatings exhibited hardness values between 15 and 24 GPa, with no significant changes after the annealing treatments at low temperatures. These coatings are of interest to the decorative applications.