Effect of Si content on functional behavior of nanostructured coatings of Zr–Si–N

Nanostructured coatings have been widely investigated due to their excellent physical and chemical features that surpass those of conventional materials. Hard ceramic coatings doped with silicon are part of nanostructured coatings used to modify the surface of solid materials and thus enhance their physical properties. In this investigation, a series of zirconium nitride (ZrN) coatings with different silicon (Si) contents (Zr–Si–N) were deposited on common glass and 316 l stainless steel substrates using pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputtering, and the influence of the silicon content on the nanohardness, optical transmittance, and corrosion resistance was investigated using nanoindentation, UV–vis-IR spectrophotometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicated that as the silicon content increases, the nanohardness values decrease from 29.6 GPa (0 at% Si) to 15.9 GPa (15 at% Si), but as the silicon content increases (>15 at%), the nanohardness value increased to 28.1 GPa. Optical measurements showed that the transmittance is higher in the infrared wavelengths as the silicon content increases, and the corrosion resistance of the 316 L stainless steel substrate was improved with the addition of silicon.