Thermodynamic modeling of Al-Cr-N thin film systems grown by PVD

Metastable, nanocrystalline, ternary chromium aluminium nitride thin films were produced by reactive and non-reactive magnetron sputtering of a chromi um aluminium nitride target in a pure nitrogen and a pure argon atmosphere, respectively. The chemical composition of the layers was determined by mea ns of microprobe analysis. The metastable layered structure was characteriz ed experimentally by means of X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction, a nd modeled theoretically by means of thermodynamic calculations and estimat ions.