At the SVC Conference in the USA, Hauzer presented the industrial impact of HIPIMS+ technology for Chromium Nitride coatings.

Chromium Nitride (CrN) is widely used for tribological and tool applications due to its toughness, abrasion resistance and chemical inertness.  For tribological applications, it plays an important role in reducing fatigue and sliding wear.  It is also used as an intermediate support layer for Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coatings.  For tools applications, it is used to resist cold welding and plastic adhesion as well as to provide impact fatigue resistance.  The application determine which physical properties are needed in the CrN layer.  High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering Plus (HIPIMS+) is a deposition technology in which a significant portion of the sputtered material is ionized.  This offers many advantages with regards to the process window for depositing CrN.  A comparative analysis of HIPIMS+ and closed field Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering (UBM) coatings including x-ray diffraction results and mechanical properties will be presented.  The potential advantages of HIPIMS+ deposited CrN coatings for tool and tribological applications will also be discussed.