Microstructures, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of TiN/AlN multilayer films

TiN/AlN multilayer films with different modulation periods (Λ) were prepared by RF-reactive magnetron sputtering. The microstructures, mechanical property and corrosion resistance of TiN/AlN multilayer films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoindentation and electrochemical comprehensive tester. The results show that the TiN/AlN multilayer films are composed of face centered cubic (fcc) TiN and tightly packed hexagonal (hcp) AlN. The multilayer films are coherent epitaxial growth as Λ increases from 2 to 12 nm. The hardness and the corrosion resistance increase with Λ increases from 2 to 12 nm. The optimum hardness is 29.27 GPa and the strongest corrosion resistance displays with Λ = 12 nm. The coherent interface could be destroyed, and the alternating stress field as well as the hardness decreases sharply during the modulation period of 26 nm–36nm. The self-corrosion potential decreases and the self-corrosion current density increases. The corrosion resistance of the film decreases with Λ increase from 26 nm to 36 nm.