Superhard Coatings Synthesis Assisted by Pulsed Beams of High-Energy Gas Molecules*

For production of nanocomposite superhard (HV 5000) and fracture-tough coatings on dielectric substrates a source of metal atoms accompanied by pulsed beams of 30-keV neutral molecules was used. The source is equipped with two parallel equipotential grids placed between a magnetron target and a substrate. Negative high-voltage pulses applied to the high-transparency grids accelerate from the magnetron plasma ions, which are transformed into high-energy neutral molecules due to charge-exchange collisions with gas molecules between the grids. Mixing of the substrate and coating materials through bombardment by high-energy gas molecules results in an adequate compressive stress of the coating and interface width exceeding 1 $\mu$m, which allows deposition of 100-$\mu$m-thick coatings with a perfect adhesion.