Pulsed electric field treatment reduces the internal stress and increases the adhesion of TiAlN coating

Higher temperatures and longer treatment times are necessary in a conventional thermal treatment method, which restricts the substrate materials and treatment efficiency. In this paper, the grain size and orientation of the coating are regulated by pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment, and the adhesion of the coating is enhanced by reducing the internal stress between the grains. The findings demonstrate that the PEF can change the coating to the close-packed (111) with high conductivity and facilitate the short-range diffusion of N atoms. The effects reduce the concentration of defects and reduce the coating's internal stress, improving the critical load of the coating. The PEF treatment provides an effective solution for low-temperature and high-efficiency treatment coatings.