Abstract:
Recently, the intensive development of modern technologies has been stimulating the need
to improve the protective properties of materials and their durability. They must withstand extreme
operating conditions, such as high temperatures, external stresses, and aggressive oxidizing
environments, which can lead to their degradation and destruction. Therefore, protective coatings
with high mechanical and tribological properties, resistance to heat and corrosion, and chemical
inertness are successfully used in various industry branches. In particular, transition metal nitrides
are very popular for different applications and are actively studied by materials science experts.
For instance, in the form of thin coatings, they can be used for multilayer metallization of
integrated circuits. Moreover, they can be excellent candidates for diffusion barriers, which are
placed between metal and semiconductor/insulator to prevent any harmful interactions between
two materials.