W‐Based Thin Film Metallic Glasses Doped with Ni, Zr, and B for Industrial Applications

Thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs) are promising materials with significant application potential in electronics, optics, and medicine. However, their industrial use is often limited by low glass transition temperatures and relatively low hardness, leading to insufficient abrasion resistance. W‐based TFMGs show promise due to their high hardness, Young's modulus, and thermal stability. This article compares two coatings from the W–Ni–B and W–Zr–B TFMG systems, prepared using physical vapor deposition magnetron sputtering. These coatings are suitable for industrial applications requiring low surface free energy (SFE), low surface roughness, and good toughness, where tools and parts face various types of wear. Mechanical properties were measured using nanoindentation, and the structure was characterized by X‐ray diffraction. The coatings' fracture characteristics and crack resistance were examined using scanning electron microscopy. SFE was measured and used to calculate theoretical adhesion work with common polymeric materials. Tribological properties, including friction coefficient waveforms, were also investigated. Both TFMG systems exhibited hardness and elastic modulus comparable to current nitride coatings, with much lower SFE, high interfacial adhesion, and internal cohesion, along with a low coefficient of friction. These properties make them highly promising for industrial applications.