Investigation of Hardness, Tribological and Adhesion Properties of TiAlNiVN HEA Films Heat Treated at Different Temperatures

TiAlNiVN high entropy alloy (HEA) films were firstly produced in the literature using the magnetron sputtering system. These films were subjected to heat treatments at different temperatures between 750°C and 900°C. Strong TiN and VN crystal structures were observed in all the annealed films. The composition of each element constituting TiAlNiVN HEA films was within a concentration range of 5-35%. The presence of TiAlNiVN HEA films was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. D-850 film had the highest hardness of 25.7GPa and exhibited the lowest wear rate at 2.45×10-5 mm3/(N.m), attributable to its lowest surface roughness (0.22) and friction coefficient (0.44). Subsequent to the heat treatment, there was a substantial enhancement in the adhesion performance of the films, culminating in a high critical load value of 80N. This study revealed that nitride-based TiAlNiVN HEA films could be enhanced in terms of hardness, tribological, and adhesion properties after heat treatment. Considering the adhesion performance, it is anticipated that the films we have produced will be a promising alternative to traditional nitride-based coatings in challenging and complex service conditions.