A conductive corrosion-resistant hydrophobic PVD coating and a preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a conductive corrosion-resistant hydrophobic PVD coating and a preparation method and application thereof, and belongs to the technical field of coating preparation. The conductive corrosion-resistant hydrophobic PVD coating provided by the application comprises a TiN layer, a TiNbN layer and a TiNbCN layer which are sequentially deposited on the surface of a substrate; and the surface of the substrate has a geometric pattern. The application improves the contact behavior of the substrate and water by designing a geometric pattern on the surface of the substrate, is beneficial to the discharge of water, and improves the hydrophobic performance of the coating; and the TiN, TiNbN and TiNbCN coating layers are sequentially deposited on the surface of the substrate with the geometric pattern, so that the conductive performance and corrosion-resistant performance of the coating are improved, the hydrophobic performance of the coating is further improved, and the PVD coating with the conductive, corrosion-resistant and hydrophobic performances is obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of coating preparation technology, and particularly relates to a conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating, its preparation method, and its application. Background Technology

[0002] Green energy is highly favored by various countries, among which green fuel cells are particularly prominent. The bipolar plate is the core component of a fuel cell, directly affecting its manufacturing cost, service safety, and reliability. It requires that the metal bipolar plate be conductive, corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant, and hydrophobic. Therefore, the protective coating on the surface of the fuel cell bipolar plate has become a research hotspot. Existing technologies also disclose some research on surface protective coatings, such as patent CN114525471A which discloses the deposition of a Cr-based coating on a stainless steel surface using arc ion plating technology; patent CN114457311A which discloses the deposition of a TiZrHfMoW high-entropy alloy coating on a titanium surface using magnetron sputtering technology; patent CN112111716A which discloses the deposition of a Ti-TiN-amorphous carbon coating on a metal substrate surface using radio frequency magnetron sputtering technology; patent CN114277344A which discloses the deposition of a Ti, aC:H:Ti intermediate layer and a graphite-like layer on a titanium plate surface using magnetron sputtering technology; and patent CN112993300A which discloses the deposition of an oxide coating on a 316L stainless steel substrate using arc ion plating technology.

[0003] Electrical conductivity, corrosion and wear resistance, and hydrophobicity are key factors affecting the commercial application of physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings. However, existing coatings typically fail to simultaneously achieve all three properties. For example, patents CN114525471A and CN114457311A consider electrical conductivity, but the metal layer exhibits poor resistance to high-temperature molten salt corrosion; CN112111716A and CN114277344A address corrosion issues but reduce the coating's electrical conductivity. Patent CN106756784A discovered that NbN coatings possess excellent electrical conductivity, therefore combining TiN with NbN yields films with good electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, but it does not consider the film's hydrophobic properties.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a coating that simultaneously takes into account conductivity, corrosion resistance, and hydrophobicity has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating, its preparation method, and its application.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] This invention provides a conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating, comprising a TiN layer, a TiNbN layer, and a TiNbCN layer sequentially deposited on the surface of a substrate;

[0008] The substrate surface has a geometric pattern.

[0009] Preferably, the geometric pattern includes recesses; the diameter of the recesses is 10-100 μm, the depth of the recesses is 1-50 μm, and the distance between two adjacent recesses is 20-200 μm.

[0010] Preferably, the thickness of the TiN layer is 0.05–0.5 μm, the thickness of the TiNbN layer is 0.5–6 μm, and the thickness of the TiNbCN layer is 0.2–3 μm.

[0011] Preferably, the material of the substrate includes stainless steel, titanium alloy, and aluminum alloy.

[0012] This invention provides a method for preparing the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating described above, comprising the following steps:

[0013] (1) A geometric pattern is processed on the surface of the substrate, and after degreasing, drying and AEGD ion etching cleaning, a substrate with a geometric pattern is obtained.

[0014] (2) A TiN layer, a TiNbN layer and a TiNbCN layer are sequentially deposited on the substrate surface with the geometric pattern obtained in step (1) to obtain the conductive, corrosion-resistant and hydrophobic PVD coating.

[0015] Preferably, in step (1), the AEGD ion etching cleaning includes the following steps: evacuating to 10... -3 Argon gas is introduced after Pa, then the ion source and target power supply are turned on, and a negative bias electric field is applied to the substrate surface to allow argon ions to perform ion etching on the substrate surface. The current of the ion source is 40-100A, the current of the target is 80-160A, and the negative bias voltage applied to the substrate surface during the etching process is -200V, -400V, -600V, -800V, -600V and -400V respectively, with corresponding etching times of 2min, 5min, 10min, 6min, 5min and 2min respectively. The temperature of the substrate is 400-550℃.

[0016] Preferably, in step (2), the deposition parameters of the TiN layer include: nitrogen flow rate of 300-700 sccm, target material of titanium, target current of 120-200 A, substrate bias voltage of -40 V to -120 V, deposition time of 5-50 min, and deposition temperature of 400-550 °C.

[0017] Preferably, in step (2), the deposition parameters of the TiNbN layer include: nitrogen flow rate of 400-800 sccm, target material of TiNb, target current of 120-200A, substrate bias of -60V--120V, deposition time of 10-120 min, and deposition temperature of 400-550℃.

[0018] Preferably, in step (2), the deposition parameters of the TiNbCN layer include: nitrogen flow rate of 400-800 sccm, acetylene flow rate of 5-20 sccm, target material of TiNb, target current of 120-200 A, substrate bias voltage of -60 V to -120 V, deposition time of 5-60 min, and deposition temperature of 400-550 °C.

[0019] The present invention also provides the application of the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating described above in fuel cell bipolar plates or corrosion-resistant molds.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and technical effects:

[0021] This invention improves the contact behavior between the substrate and water by designing geometric patterns on the substrate surface, which facilitates water drainage and enhances the hydrophobic properties of the coating. Then, TiN, TiNbN and TiNbCN coatings are sequentially deposited on the substrate surface with the geometric patterns, which improves the conductivity and corrosion resistance of the coating while further enhancing its hydrophobic properties, thus obtaining a PVD coating that combines conductivity, corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0024] This invention provides a conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating, comprising a TiN layer, a TiNbN layer, and a TiNbCN layer sequentially deposited on the surface of a substrate;

[0025] The substrate surface has a geometric pattern.

[0026] This invention improves the contact behavior between the substrate and water by designing geometric patterns on the substrate surface, which facilitates water drainage and enhances the hydrophobic properties of the coating. Then, TiN, TiNbN and TiNbCN coatings are sequentially deposited on the substrate surface with the geometric patterns, which improves the conductivity and corrosion resistance of the coating while further enhancing its hydrophobic properties, thus obtaining a PVD coating that combines conductivity, corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the geometric pattern includes recesses; the diameter of the recesses is 10–100 μm, the depth of the recesses is 1–50 μm, and the distance between two adjacent recesses is 20–200 μm.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the TiN layer is 0.05–0.5 μm, the thickness of the TiNbN layer is 0.5–6 μm, and the thickness of the TiNbCN layer is 0.2–3 μm. In this invention, the TiN layer acts as a base layer, placed near the substrate to improve the adhesion between the coating and the substrate; the TiNbN layer acts as an intermediate layer, used to adjust the interface and stress distribution, improving the coating's adhesion and corrosion resistance, while also possessing excellent electrical conductivity, thus serving as the intermediate layer; the TiNbCN layer acts as a functional layer, serving as the outermost layer, possessing the advantages of electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the material of the substrate includes one of stainless steel, titanium alloy, and aluminum alloy.

[0030] This invention provides a method for preparing the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating described above, comprising the following steps:

[0031] (1) A geometric pattern is processed on the surface of the substrate, and after degreasing, drying and AEGD ion etching cleaning, a substrate with a geometric pattern is obtained.

[0032] (2) A TiN layer, a TiNbN layer and a TiNbCN layer are sequentially deposited on the substrate surface with the geometric pattern obtained in step (1) to obtain the conductive, corrosion-resistant and hydrophobic PVD coating.

[0033] This invention first processes a geometric pattern on the substrate surface and performs AEGD ion etching and cleaning, then sequentially deposits a TiN layer, a TiNbN layer, and a TiNbCN layer on the substrate surface, thereby obtaining a PVD coating with a geometric pattern on the surface. The resulting PVD coating has multiple functions such as conductivity, corrosion resistance, and hydrophobicity.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, in step (1), the method for processing geometric patterns on the substrate surface includes laser beam processing, ion beam processing, or electrical discharge machining.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, step (1) of the AEGD ion etching cleaning includes the following steps: evacuating to 10... -3 Argon gas is introduced after Pa, then the ion source and target power supply are turned on, and a negative bias electric field is applied to the substrate surface to perform ion etching on the substrate surface by argon ions. The current of the ion source is 40-100A, and the current of the target is 80-160A. During the etching process, the negative bias voltage applied to the substrate surface is successively -200V, -400V, -600V, -800V, -600V, and -400V, with corresponding etching times of 2min, 5min, 10min, 6min, 5min, and 2min, respectively. The temperature of the substrate is 400-550℃. This invention removes contaminants from the substrate surface through AEGD ion etching cleaning. By controlling the process parameters of AEGD ion etching cleaning within the above range, it has the advantage of high film-substrate adhesion.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, in step (2), the deposition parameters of the TiN layer include: nitrogen flow rate of 300–700 sccm, target material of titanium, target current of 120–200 A, substrate bias of -40 V to -120 V, deposition time of 5–50 min, and deposition temperature of 400–550 °C. This invention, by depositing a TiN layer under the above conditions, controls the adhesion between the coating and the substrate, while also providing good conductivity and corrosion resistance. Changing the deposition parameters of the TiN layer will alter the coating thickness and density, thereby affecting the coating adhesion and conductivity.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the deposition parameters of the TiNbN layer in step (2) include: nitrogen flow rate of 400–800 sccm, target material of TiNb, target current of 120–200 A, substrate bias of -60 V to -120 V, deposition time of 10–120 min, and deposition temperature of 400–550 °C. This invention, by depositing a TiNbN layer under the above conditions, has the advantages of conductivity, adjustment of interface hardness and stress, and corrosion resistance. Changing the deposition parameters of the TiNbN layer will alter the microstructure, grain size, hardness, density, corrosion resistance, and conductivity of the coating.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the deposition parameters of the TiNbCN layer in step (2) include: nitrogen flow rate of 400–800 sccm, acetylene flow rate of 5–20 sccm, target material of TiNb, target current of 120–200 A, substrate bias voltage of -60 V to -120 V, deposition time of 5–60 min, and deposition temperature of 400–550 °C. This invention, by depositing a TiNbCN layer under the above conditions, possesses the advantages of conductivity and corrosion resistance. Changing the deposition parameters of the TiNbCN layer will affect the conductivity and corrosion resistance of the coating.

[0039] The present invention also provides the application of the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating described above in fuel cell bipolar plates or corrosion-resistant molds.

[0040] Unless otherwise specified, all raw materials used in the embodiments of this invention were purchased through commercial channels.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] A method for preparing a conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating, the specific process of which is as follows:

[0043] (1) Polish the 316L stainless steel substrate until the surface roughness is <0.1μm;

[0044] (2) A femtosecond laser is used to process a pit pattern on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate. The pit diameter is 50μm, the depth is 5μm, and the distance between two adjacent pits is 50μm.

[0045] (3) The 316L stainless steel substrate with the pitted pattern processed in step (2) is degreased and dried, and then placed in an arc ion plating furnace. The furnace is then evacuated to 10°C. -3 The 316L stainless steel substrate was heated to 420℃, and the ion source and Ti target power supply were turned on. At the same time, a negative bias electric field was applied to the surface of the 316L stainless steel substrate to perform AEGD etching on the surface of the 316L stainless steel substrate by argon ions. The ion source current was 60A, the target current was 120A, and the negative bias voltage applied to the surface of the 316L stainless steel substrate during the etching process was -200V, -400V, -600V, -800V, -600V and -400V respectively, and the corresponding etching times were 2min, 5min, 10min, 6min, 5min and 2min respectively.

[0046] (4) After AEGD etching is completed, the Ti target is opened and nitrogen gas is introduced to deposit a TiN layer with a thickness of 0.15 μm on the surface of the 316L stainless steel substrate. The Ti target current is 120A, the nitrogen flow rate is 500 sccm, the substrate bias voltage is -60V, the deposition temperature is 420℃, and the deposition time is 30min.

[0047] (5) Using TiNb as the target material, nitrogen gas is introduced to deposit a TiNbN layer on the surface of the TiN layer to form a TiNbN layer with a thickness of 1.5 μm; wherein, the nitrogen gas flow rate is 500 sccm, the target current is 160 A, the substrate bias voltage is -80 V, the deposition time is 90 min, and the deposition temperature is 420 °C.

[0048] (6) Using a TiNb metal target, nitrogen and acetylene are introduced to deposit a TiNbCN layer on the surface of the TiNbN layer, forming a TiNbCN layer with a thickness of 1μm, thus obtaining a TiN-TiNbN-TiNbCN coating, which is a conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating; wherein, the nitrogen flow rate is 500sccm, the acetylene flow rate is 8sccm, the target current is 160A, the substrate bias voltage is -80V, the deposition time is 60min, and the deposition temperature is 420℃.

[0049] Examples 2-6

[0050] Step (1) is the same as step (1) in Example 1;

[0051] The parameters that differ from those in Example 1 in steps (2) to (6) are shown in Tables 1 to 3. Other operation and process parameters are the same as in Example 1.

[0052] Table 1. Parameters of the pits and deposition parameters for preparing the TiN layer in Examples 2-6.

[0053]

[0054]

[0055] Table 2. Deposition parameters for preparing TiNbN layers in Examples 2-6

[0056]

[0057] Table 3. Process parameters for preparing TiNbCN layers in Examples 2-6

[0058]

[0059] Performance testing:

[0060] Contact resistance: The contact resistance of the coating was tested using a contact resistance meter. A load of 1.0 MPa was applied and the pressure was held for 60 seconds.

[0061] Corrosion potential test: The self-corrosion potential of the coating samples was tested using a Shanghai Huachen electrochemical workstation. The self-corrosion potential of the coating was tested at 80℃, in a 0.5 mol / L H2SO4 + 5 ppm HF solution, under natural conditions.

[0062] Contact angle test: The contact angle between water and coating is measured at room temperature using a contact angle tester.

[0063] The self-corrosion potential results of the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coatings prepared in Examples 1 to 6 are shown in Table 1.

[0064] Table 4. Self-corrosion potential of the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coatings prepared in Examples 1-6

[0065]

[0066]

[0067] As can be seen from Table 4, compared with the 316L stainless steel substrate, the corrosion potential and contact angle of the conductive, corrosion-resistant and hydrophobic PVD coatings prepared in Examples 1 to 6 of the present invention are significantly improved, while the contact resistance is significantly reduced. This indicates that the present invention significantly improves the conductivity, corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity of the substrate by preparing a conductive, corrosion-resistant and hydrophobic PVD coating on the substrate surface.

[0068] Comparative Example 1

[0069] A method for preparing a 316L stainless steel substrate with a surface-processed pit pattern, the specific process is as follows:

[0070] (1) Polish the 316L stainless steel substrate until the surface roughness is <0.1μm;

[0071] (2) A femtosecond laser is used to process a pit pattern on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate. The pit diameter is 50μm, the depth is 5μm, and the distance between two adjacent pits is 50μm.

[0072] Comparative Example 2

[0073] A method for preparing a TiN coating, the specific process is as follows:

[0074] (1) Polish the 316L stainless steel substrate until the surface roughness is <0.1μm;

[0075] (2) A femtosecond laser is used to process a pit pattern on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate. The pit diameter is 50μm, the depth is 5μm, and the distance between two adjacent pits is 50μm.

[0076] (3) Place the 316L stainless steel substrate with the pitted pattern processed in step (2) into the arc ion plating furnace, and evacuate the furnace to 10°C. -3 Pa, then nitrogen gas is introduced, and titanium is used as the metal target to deposit a TiN layer with a thickness of 0.15 μm on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate; wherein the Ti target current is 160 A, the nitrogen gas flow rate is 500 sccm, the substrate bias voltage is -60 V, the deposition temperature is 420 °C, and the deposition time is 30 min.

[0077] Comparative Example 3

[0078] A method for preparing a TiNbN coating, the specific process is as follows:

[0079] (1) Polish the 316L stainless steel substrate until the surface roughness is <0.1μm;

[0080] (2) A femtosecond laser is used to process a pit pattern on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate. The pit diameter is 50μm, the depth is 5μm, and the distance between two adjacent pits is 50μm.

[0081] (3) Place the 316L stainless steel substrate with the pitted pattern processed in step (2) into the arc ion plating furnace, and evacuate the furnace to 10°C. -3 Pa, then nitrogen gas is introduced, and TiNb is used as the metal target to deposit a TiNbN layer with a thickness of 1.5 μm on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate; wherein the nitrogen gas flow rate is 500 sccm, the target current is 160 A, the substrate bias voltage is -80 V, the deposition time is 90 min, and the deposition temperature is 420 °C.

[0082] Comparative Example 4

[0083] A method for preparing a TiNbCN coating, the specific process is as follows:

[0084] (1) Polish the 316L stainless steel substrate until the surface roughness is <0.1μm;

[0085] (2) A femtosecond laser is used to process a pit pattern on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate. The pit diameter is 50μm, the depth is 5μm, and the distance between two adjacent pits is 50μm.

[0086] (3) Place the 316L stainless steel substrate with the pitted pattern processed in step (2) into the arc ion plating furnace, and evacuate the furnace to 10°C. -3 Pa, then nitrogen and acetylene are introduced, and TiNb is used as the metal target to deposit a TiNbCN layer with a thickness of 1 μm on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate; wherein the nitrogen flow rate is 500 sccm, the acetylene flow rate is 8 sccm, the target current is 160 A, the substrate bias voltage is -80 V, the deposition time is 60 min, and the deposition temperature is 420 °C.

[0087] Comparative Example 5

[0088] A method for preparing a TiNbN-TiNbCN coating, the specific process is as follows:

[0089] (1) Polish the 316L stainless steel substrate until the surface roughness is <0.1μm;

[0090] (2) A femtosecond laser is used to process a pit pattern on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate. The pit diameter is 50μm, the depth is 5μm, and the distance between two adjacent pits is 50μm.

[0091] (3) Place the 316L stainless steel substrate with the pitted pattern processed in step (2) into the arc ion plating furnace, and evacuate the furnace to 10°C. -3 Pa, then nitrogen gas is introduced, and TiNb is used as the metal target to deposit a TiNbN layer with a thickness of 1.5 μm on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate; wherein the nitrogen gas flow rate is 500 sccm, the target current is 160 A, the substrate bias voltage is -80 V, the deposition time is 90 min, and the deposition temperature is 420 °C.

[0092] (4) Using a TiNb metal target, nitrogen and acetylene are introduced to deposit a TiNbCN layer on the surface of the TiNbN layer to form a TiNbCN layer with a thickness of 1 μm; wherein, the nitrogen flow rate is 500 sccm, the acetylene flow rate is 8 sccm, the target current is 160 A, the substrate bias voltage is -80 V, the deposition time is 60 min, and the deposition temperature is 420 °C.

[0093] Comparative Example 6

[0094] The difference from Example 1 is that step (2) is omitted, while the other steps are the same as in Example 1.

[0095] Comparative Example 7

[0096] The specific process for an NbN coating without pit patterns is as follows:

[0097] (1) Polish the 316L stainless steel substrate until the surface roughness is <0.1μm;

[0098] (2) Place the polished 316L stainless steel substrate from step (1) into an arc ion plating furnace and evacuate the furnace to 10°C. -3 Pa, then nitrogen gas is introduced, and Nb is used as the metal target to deposit an NbN layer with a thickness of 3.0 μm on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate; wherein, the Nb target current is 160 A, the nitrogen flow rate is 500 sccm, the substrate bias voltage is -60 V, the deposition temperature is 450 °C, and the deposition time is 60 min.

[0099] Comparative Example 8

[0100] The difference from Example 1 is that the order of steps (5) and (6) is reversed, while the rest is the same as in Example 1, to obtain a TiN-TiNbCN-TiNbN coating.

[0101] Comparative Example 9

[0102] The difference from Example 1 is that the order of steps (4) and (6) is reversed, while the rest is the same as in Example 1, to obtain a TiNbCN-TiNbN-TiN coating.

[0103] Comparative Example 10

[0104] The difference from Example 1 is that the order of steps (4) and (5) is reversed, while the rest is the same as in Example 1, to obtain a TiNbN-TiN-TiNbCN coating.

[0105] The corrosion potential, contact angle, and contact resistance of the coatings prepared in Comparative Examples 1 to 10 were tested according to the aforementioned method, and the test results are shown in Table 5.

[0106] Table 5. Self-corrosion potentials of the coatings prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1-10

[0107] Corrosion potential / V Contact angle / ° <![CDATA[Contact resistance / mΩ / cm 2 > Example 1 0.18 89.7 36.4 Comparative Example 1 -0.58 45.8 120.6 Comparative Example 2 -0.36 85.1 65.7 Comparative Example 3 -0.24 85.2 41.7 Comparative Example 4 -0.16 85.4 53.8 Comparative Example 5 -0.14 85.1 52.6 Comparative Example 6 0.17 46.9 56.6 Comparative Example 7 -0.31 44.8 53.5 Comparative Example 8 -0.12 85.0 52.7 Comparative Example 9 -0.19 66.3 53.6 Comparative Example 10 -0.11 85.6 53.6

[0108] As shown in Tables 4 and 5, the corrosion potential, contact angle, and contact resistance of the coatings prepared in Examples 1-6 of this invention are 0.01–0.18 V, 84–90°, and 36–54 mΩ / cm, respectively. 2 The higher the corrosion potential, the better the corrosion resistance; the larger the contact angle, the better the hydrophobicity; the higher the contact resistance, the worse the conductivity of the coating. Therefore, Example 1 exhibits the best overall performance; while Comparative Examples 1-10 cannot simultaneously achieve high corrosion potential, high contact angle, and low contact resistance.

[0109] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A conductive, corrosion-resistant, hydrophobic PVD coating, characterized in that, This includes a TiN layer, a TiNbN layer, and a TiNbCN layer sequentially deposited on the surface of the substrate; The substrate surface has a geometric pattern; the geometric pattern is in the shape of pits; the diameter of the pit is 10-100 μm, the depth of the pit is 1-50 μm, and the distance between two adjacent pits is 20-200 μm.

2. The conductive, corrosion-resistant, hydrophobic PVD coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the TiN layer is 0.05–0.5 μm, the thickness of the TiNbN layer is 0.5–6 μm, and the thickness of the TiNbCN layer is 0.2–3 μm.

3. The conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate is made of one of the following materials: stainless steel, titanium alloy, and aluminum alloy.

4. The method for preparing the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) A geometric pattern is processed on the surface of the substrate, and after degreasing, drying and AEGD ion etching cleaning, a substrate with a geometric pattern is obtained. (2) A TiN layer, a TiNbN layer and a TiNbCN layer are sequentially deposited on the substrate surface with the geometric pattern obtained in step (1) to obtain the conductive, corrosion-resistant and hydrophobic PVD coating.

5. The method for preparing the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step (1), the AEGD ion etching cleaning includes the following steps: evacuating to 10... -3 Argon gas is introduced after Pa, then the ion source and target power supply are turned on, and a negative bias electric field is applied to the substrate surface to allow argon ions to perform ion etching on the substrate surface. The current of the ion source is 40-100A, the current of the target is 80-160A, and the negative bias voltage applied to the substrate surface during the etching process is -200V, -400V, -600V, -800V, -600V and -400V respectively, with corresponding etching times of 2min, 5min, 10min, 6min, 5min and 2min respectively. The temperature of the substrate is 400-550℃.

6. The method for preparing the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step (2), the deposition parameters of the TiN layer include: nitrogen flow rate of 300-700 sccm, target material of titanium, target current of 120-200 A, substrate bias voltage of -40 V to -120 V, deposition time of 5-50 min, and deposition temperature of 400-550 °C.

7. The method for preparing a conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step (2), the deposition parameters of the TiNbN layer include: nitrogen flow rate of 400-800 sccm, target material of TiNb, target current of 120-200A, substrate bias of -60V-120V, deposition time of 10-120min, and deposition temperature of 400-550℃.

8. The method for preparing the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step (2), the deposition parameters of the TiNbCN layer include: nitrogen flow rate of 400-800 sccm, acetylene flow rate of 5-20 sccm, target material of TiNb, target current of 120-200 A, substrate bias voltage of -60 V to -120 V, deposition time of 5-60 min, and deposition temperature of 400-550 °C.

9. The application of the conductive, corrosion-resistant, and hydrophobic PVD coating according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in fuel cell bipolar plates or corrosion-resistant molds.

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