LOW-TEMPERATURE CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION OF V-C-N TYPE COATINGS USING BIS(ARENE)VANADIUM

Vanadium carbide coatings V8C7 have been deposited on steel substrates by MOCVD using bis(arene)vanadiums as precursors at temperatures lowe r than 550 degrees C. Addition of C6Cl6 in the gas phase allows to red uce the carbon content of the films to 13 at. %. These metal coatings exhibit the features of a metastable carbon-rich solid solution. Carbo nitride V(C,N) and nitride delta-VN layers with only 5 at. % carbon ha ve been deposited in the presence of NH3. These reactive gas phases al low to grow almost all the phases of the V-C-N ternary diagram.