Structural, mechanical and corrosion behaviors of the homogeneous and gradient CrAlSiN coatings in 3.5% NaCl solution

The homogeneous and gradient CrAlSiN coatings were prepared at constant and graded sputtering power respectively, and their structural, mechanical and corrosion behaviors were compared. Results showed that both coatings were composed of fcc-(Cr, Al)N, hcp-Cr2N, hcp-AlN and amorphous Si3N4, and exhibited a distinct columnar structure. However, the homogenous CrAlSiN coating possessed a uniform chemical composition and phase structure, while the...