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Superhard composite materials including compounds of carbon and nitrogen deposited on metal and metal nitride, carbide and carbonitride

Patent ·
OSTI ID:871682

A composite material having high hardness comprises a carbon nitrogen compound, such as CN.sub.x where x is greater than 0.1 and up to 1.33, deposited on a metal or metal compound selected to promote deposition of substantially crystalline CN.sub.x. The carbon nitrogen compound is deposited on a crystal plane of the metal or metal compound sufficiently lattice-matched with a crystal plane of the carbon nitrogen compound that the carbon nitrogen compound is substantially crystalline. A plurality of layers of the compounds can be formed in alternating sequence to provide a multi-layered, superlattice coating having a coating hardness in the range of 45-55 GPa, which corresponds to the hardness of a BN coating and approaches that of a diamond coating.

Research Organization:
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-90ER45434
Assignee:
Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
Patent Number(s):
5,776,615
Application Number:
08/388,020
OSTI ID:
871682
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (2)

Growth of single‐crystal TiN/VN strained‐layer superlattices with extremely high mechanical hardness journal July 1987
Enhanced hardness in lattice‐matched single‐crystal TiN/V 0.6 Nb 0.4 N superlattices journal December 1990