Investigation of the microstructure and properties of doped nanocomposite coatings based on titanium nitride

The special features of the elemental composition, structure-phase and elastically stressed states, and properties of coatings based on titanium nitride are investigated for different concentrations of Al, Si, Cu, Ni, Cr, and C doping elements using x-ray fluorescent analysis, x-ray microanalysis, dark-field electronmicroscopic analysis of the crystal lattice bending and torsion, microhardness measurements, and scratch tests. Influence of the structure and concentration of the doping elements on the relative fraction of nonmetallic atoms, crystal size, and phase composition of the coating is established. High values (several hundred degrees per micron) of the lattice bending-torsion with dipole configuration are established for nanocrystals with sizes smaller than 20 nm. Residual stresses in nanocrystals are estimated for the disclination model of the structural state. It is demonstrated that the increased degree of coating doping improves the thermal stability of their structure and properties.