High temperature oxidation behavior and mechanical properties of TiAlN/SiN decorative films on borosilicate glass by magnetron sputtering

•Black TiAlN decorative films were fabricated on borosilicate glass.•High temperature performance was improved by depositing SiN layers on the TiAlN films.•Glass coated with TiAlN/SiN films retains their black color after oxidation at 700 °C.

The coated borosilicate glass is an idea substitute of glass-ceramics in the household electrical appliances due to the rich colors and low cost. By controlling deposition parameters, the black TiAlN decorative film can be fabricated on the borosilicate glass in the magnetron sputtering equipment with multiple chambers. The transparent SiN protective layer also was deposited on the TiAlN film to keep the black color invariant at the high temperature. The TiAlN/SiN films include the inner TiAlN layer with a thickness of 260 nm and the outer amorphous SiN layer with a thickness of 125 nm. The coated borosilicate glass with the TiAlN/SiN films still retains the black color after oxidation at 600 °C in the atmosphere. While the oxidation temperature elevates to 700 °C, the color of the TiAlN/SiN films begins to change. The outer SiN layer plays a role as the barrier against oxygen diffusion into the inner TiAlN layer. The TiAlN/SiN films have a hardness of 15.5 GPa. The oxidation below 600 °C makes the film hardness increase, but the hardness decreases after oxidation at 700 °C. The TiAlN/SiN films have a good adhesion on the glass substrate. After oxidation, the adhesion and toughness of the films decrease significantly.