A closed field unbalanced magnetron (CFUBM) sputtering system is used to deposit Zr-C:H:N(x)% coatings with nitrogen contents ranging from 0 to 29 at.% on AISI M2 steel disks. The microstructures of the various coatings are analyzed using Raman spectrometry, while the hardness and adhesion strength are measured via nanoindentation tests and scratch tests, respectively. The tribological properties of the coatings are tested against AISI 52100 steel balls under loads of 0.5-10 N using a ball-on-disk wear tester. The wear testing results reveal that the Zr-C:H:N(12)% coating has excellent tribological properties, including a low wear depth, a low friction coefficient and an extended lifetime. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.