Abstract
In this article, we reveal the post deposition annealing effect on the structural, morphological, and mechanical properties of polycrystalline zirconium oxynitride (P-ZrON) composite films deposited for 40 focus shots using a plasma focus device. The development of Zr(101), ZrN(111), ZrN(200), Zr3N4(320), ZrN0.28(002), and m-ZrO2(200) diffraction peaks confirms the deposition of P-ZrON composite films. The peak intensity, crystallite size, dislocation density, compressive stress, and texture coefficient of the Zr3N4(320) plane and the microstructural features such as the shape, size and distribution of nanoparticles as well as the film compactness are influenced by the annealing temperature. Elemental analysis confirms the presence of Zr, N, and O in the deposited films. The microhardness of the P-ZrON composite film annealed at 500 degrees C is found to be 11.87GPa which is 7.8 times that of virgin zirconium. (C) 2017 The Japan Society of Applied Physics