Properties of SiCN coatings for high temperature applications — Comparison of RF-, DC- and HPPMS-sputtering

Since most conventional coatings are not stable at temperatures above 1000 °C, new coating concepts have to be introduced. Si–C–N based materials exhibit promising properties such as excellent oxidation resistance and thermal stability even at temperatures above 1300 °C.In the present study amorphous PVD–SiCN coatings were synthesized by conventional DC- and RF-magnetron sputtering as well as with a combined sputtering process using one target in the DC mode and one target in the HPPMS (High Power Pulse Magnetron Sputtering) mode. The coatings were characterized regarding their chemical, structural and mechanical properties. The coating properties strongly depend on the chemical composition and the structure of the amorphous network. Beyond that, the study includes thermal analysis of the coating materials, synthesized with the different sputtering techniques.