A study of TiMoN nano-multilayer coatings deposited by CFUBMSIP using DC and HIPIMS power

► TiMoN nano-multilayer hard coatings have been deposited by CFUBMSIP using (i) 4 off DC powered magnetrons; and, (ii) 3 off DC powered +1HIPIMS powered magnetrons. ► The mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings were evaluated using scratch adhesion, Fischerscope hardness and pin on disc wear tests. The elemental compositions, crystalline phases and cross sectional microstructures of the coatings were studied using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) respectively. ► The properties of the coatings deposited using the combined HIPIMS and DC powered CFUBMSIP are similar to those of the coatings deposited using exclusively DC powered CFUBMSIP in terms of hardness, adhesion, wear friction and microstructures. ► The nanoscale TiMoN multilayer is found to be formed as TiN face centred cubic (fcc) with no non-fcc MoN based phases identified, suggesting that epitaxial growth of MoN follows the fcc TiN with a bi-layer period of approximately 10 nm.