Interface-directed spinodal decomposition in TiAlN/CrN multilayer hard coatings studied by atom probe tomography

Microstructural and compositional changes in TiAlN/CrN multilayered films occurring at temperatures up to 1000 °C were studied at different length scales by a combination of atom probe tomography, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. We observe the onset of decomposition of the multilayer structure at 700 °C via the mechanism of interface-directed spinodal decomposition of TiAlN layers, where Al atoms preferentially move...