Influence of Substrate Manufacturing Route on HiPIMS TiAlSiN-Coated AISI 316L Stainless Steel Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Laser powder bed fusion has attracted increasing attention for the production of metallic substrates intended for surface functionalization by advanced physical vapor deposition coatings. This study investigates the influence of the substrate manufacturing route on the performance of titanium-aluminum-silicon nitride-coated AISI 316L stainless steel, with particular emphasis on substrates produced by laser powder bed fusion. Conventionally manufactured and additively manufactured AISI 316L substrates were coated with a titanium-aluminum-silicon nitride layer using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. The substrates were characterized by tensile testing and microhardness measurements, while coating thickness and uniformity were evaluated using the crater ball method. The mechanical integrity of the coating-substrate system was assessed by progressive load scratch testing. The additively manufactured substrate exhibited a significantly higher yield strength (411 MPa) compared to the conventionally manufactured material (257 MPa), together with increased microhardness. The titanium-aluminum-silicon nitride coating showed a uniform thickness of 4.47 µm and a well-defined coating-substrate interface. Scratch tests revealed a delayed onset of coating damage on additively manufactured substrates, with the transition to severe adhesive failure occurring at higher normal loads compared to the conventionally manufactured substrate. These results demonstrate that AISI 316L stainless steel produced by laser powder bed fusion provides a mechanically robust substrate for titanium-aluminum-silicon nitride coatings deposited by high-power impulse magnetron sputtering, with favorable coating response under progressive loading conditions.