The influence of nitrogen partial pressure on the composition, microstructure, and mechanical characteristics of Ti$_{1-x-y}$Al$_{x}$Tа$_{y}$N coatings obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering

The evolution of the elemental composition, surface morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Ti$_{1-x-y}$Al$_{x}$Tа$_{y}$N coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering has been studied when the ratio of the partial pressure of nitrogen to the total pressure of reactive gas mixture was increased from 0.1 to 0.5. It is established that most significant changes in the relative content of Ti, Al, and Ta in as-deposited coatings take place when this ratio is varied from 0.1 to 0.3. The observed changes in the elemental composition of Ti$_{1-x-y}$Al$_{x}$Tа$_{y}$N coatings do not influence their phase composition, but lead to changes in the microstructure and mechanical characteristics.