Ceramic nitride/metal coatings with enhanced fracture toughness and fatigue resistance using a multiscalar laminate architecture

Ceramic coatings can provide benefits such as improved wear resistance, reduced friction, and be chemical and biological corrosion barriers in various biomedical applications. However, long-term issues of film cracking, particle generation, or delamination must be addressed, while achieving decades-long coating lifetimes. Instead of brittle, superhard coatings, softer but tougher coatings achieved with multiscalar, laminate architectures may meet these requirements. Layers of Cr and CrN were combined in multi- and nanolayer structures, and compared to monolayer films. The multiscalar coatings had hardness values lying between the pure Cr and CrN, but higher fracture toughness than the monolayer films.