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Abstract The WS 2 /CrN bilayered films with different interface morphologies between WS 2 and CrN layer were prepared by physical vapor deposition. By controlling the deposition parameters, the surface of CrN interlayer exhibited compact granular structure when deposited under low partial pressure of Ar while a cone array-like surface appeared under high Ar partial pressure. The surface texture of the CrN interlayer had a great effect on the tribological performance of the WS 2 /CrN film. The compact CrN textured WS 2 film exhibited a wear life about 2.6 × 105 cycles while the optimal cone array-like CrN textured WS 2 film showed a much longer wear life reaching to 6.8 × 105 cycles, which was more than 2.6 times of that for compact CrN textured WS 2 film and 3.5 times of that for WS 2 film without the CrN interlayer. The improved tribological property of the optimal cone array-like CrN textured WS 2 film was attributed to the high adhesion between the WS 2 layer and the CrN interlayer. Meanwhile, the reservoir and replenishment of the WS 2 lubricant by the CrN nanocones during the friction made a significant contribution for the long wear life. Highlights • Compact and cone array-like CrN interlayers were deposited under different Ar partial pressure. • Different tribological performances would be resulted by tailoring the interface of WS 2 /CrN bilayered film. • The reservoir and replenishment of the WS 2 lubricates by CrN nanocone array contribute to the tribological performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work reports on the morphologies and the tribological properties of MoS 2 films deposited onto the as-deposited or textured TiN and WC interlayers. The closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtered MoS 2 film exhibited dense structure without obvious voids or columnar morphology. Meanwhile, plenty of MoS 2 nanowires or nanorods were grown on the film surface. With the laser-textured TiN or WC interlayer introduced, both the textured TiN/MoS 2 film and WC/MoS 2 film exhibited a long lubricating life higher than 8.0 × 105 sliding cycles, much higher than that for the un-textured films or pure MoS 2 film. • MoS 2 films with textured TiN, WC interlayer were deposited by a closed-field unbalanced-magnetron sputtering system. • The deposited MoS 2 film exhibited a dense structure with plenty of nanowires or nanorods grown between the MoS 2 columnar. • The textured TiN/MoS 2 film and WC/MoS 2 film exhibited a long lubricating life higher than 8.0 × 105 sliding cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]