Reprint of: Improving oxidation and wear resistance of TiB2 films by nano-multilayering with Cr*

Alternating TiB2-DCMS and Cr-HiPIMS layers are used to fabricate TiB2/Cr multilayer films with varying the Cr interlayer thickness, 2 and 5 nm, and the substrate bias during growth of Cr interlayers from floating, to -60 V and -200 V. The effects of multilayer structure on mechanical properties, static oxidation, and tribological behavior of the TiB2/Cr multilayers are investigated. The results reveal that TiB2 nanocolumns renucleate at each Cr interface maintaining smooth film surface and film density. Interlaying with Cr with thicknesses of 2-5 nm improves the resistance to oxidation at 500-600 degrees C as compared to TiB2 monolayer. The increase of the thickness of the Cr interlayers from 2 to 5 nm decreases the hardness of the multilayer slightly but deteriorates the wear rate significantly. The friction coefficients at 500 degrees C are lower than those at RT due to boric acid liquid lubrication induced by surface oxidation. The TiB2/Cr multilayer films show higher wear resistance than TiB2 monolayer. The multilayer films with 2 nm-thick Cr deposited at -60 V have the lowest recorded wear rates. Irradiation with 200 eV Cr+ leads to interface mixing, resulting in the formation of B-deficient TiBx phase (x < 2) and higher wear rates compared to multilayers grown at -60 V.