Tribological Behavior Analysis of CrMoN Coating by XPS

Abstract

The tribological behavior of CrMoN films with respect to surface chemistry was investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). All of the films were prepared from a hybrid PVD system consisting of DC unbalanced magnetron (LTBM) sputtering and arc ion plating (ATP) sources. The tribological property of the films was evaluated by a friction coefficient using a Ball-on-disk type tribometer. The chemistry of wear track was analyzed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and XPS. The friction coefficient was measured to be 0.4 for the CrMoN film, which is lower than that of a monolithic CrN film. EDS and XPS results imply the formation of an oxide layer on the coating surface, which was identified as molybdenum oxide phases, known to be a solid lubricant during the wear test.