Abstract:CrSiCN coatings were deposited on silicon wafers (100) and 316L stainless steels by unbalanced magnetron sputtering via adjusting the trimethylsilane (TMS) flows.Their composition,surface microstructure and nanohardness were characterized by Xray diffraction (XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoindenter,respectively.The frictional behaviors of CrSiCN sliding against Al2O3 balls in water were investigated using ballondisk tribometer.The results show that the CrSiCN coatings show the maximum hardness of 19.3 GPa,and the maximum elastic modulus of 306.9 GPa due to solution strengthen and the formation of nanocomposite structure when the TMS flow is at 10 sccm.When the TMS flow is higher than 20 sccm,the hardness is reduced due to superfluous amorphous phase.The CrSiCN coating prepared at TMS flow of 10 sccm shows the lowest friction coefficient of 0.24.But with the increasing of TMS flow,the decrease of hardness and superfluous amorphous phase weakens the wear resistance of coatings and leads to the friction coefficient fluctuation.