Oxidation behaviour of composite CrN/(Cr,V)N coatings with different contents of vanadium induced by UV nanosecond laser pulses

The oxidation behaviour and morphological modification of CrN/(Cr,V)N coatings on Si wafers were studied after UV nanosecond laser (wavelength 248 nm, pulse duration 25 ns) processing in ambient air. The evolution of the surface composition and microstructure with the number of accumulated/subsequent pulses was systematically analysed depending on the initial content of vanadium in the as-deposited coatings. Irradiation of CrN/(Cr,V)N coatings with different content of vanadium was carried out at a fluence of 0.17 J cm⁻² with different number of pulses. The concentration of metallic components was fairly homogeneous distributed throughout the sample. However, on surface and in sub-surface regions the contents of Cr and V are diminished due to laser-induced oxidation. The composition and thickness of forming oxides mixture, Cr₂O₃ and V₂O₅, are depending on the number of applied laser pulses and the initial vanadium content. The asymmetric progress of surface morphology is characterized by the formation of grainy structures at peripheries and the appearance of cracks and irregular closed shapes in the centre of the irradiation area.