M and M-N coatings, where M is nearly the metal composition of Inconel 690 (57 at.% Ni, 32 at.% Cr, 9.5 at.% Fe...) were sputter-deposited on glass and steel substrates in pure argon and in Ar-N-2 mixtures using a round planar magnetron. The influence of nitrogen gas flow rate inlet in argon on chemical composition and microstructure was studied. The as-deposited (T< 100 degrees C) M-N films containing up to 30 at.% nitrogen are a nanocrystalline supersaturated face cubic centered (fcc) solid solution (gamma(N)). The pure metallic films have a pronounced < 111 > fcc crystallographic texture, while the M-N films exhibit a strong < 100 > fcc crystallographic texture. The effect of temperature on the microstructure of M-N films was studied by increasing the substrate temperature during preparation and by tempering of an as-deposited M-N films. For M-N films prepared at 400 degrees C, the X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a magnetic gamma phase with a very low nitrogen content, while electron probe microanalysis gives an overall high nitrogen content in the layer (up to 25 at.%). It is concluded that the layers consist of two phases when prepared or tempered at high temperature (T >400 degrees C): an fcc CrN nitride and a gamma (Ni,Fe,Cr) depleted in nitrogen. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.