The microstructure and mechanical behavior of Mg/Ti multilayers as a function of individual layer thickness

We investigated the effects of elevated temperature vacuum annealing on the morphological stability and hardness of self-supported, textured, polycrystalline Cu–Nb nanolayered films with individual layer thickness varying from 15 to 75 nm. Films with layer thickness greater than approximately 35 nm are found to resist layer pinch-off and spheroidization even after long annealing times at 700 °C, while films with layer thickness ∼15 nm exhibit layer pinch-off and evolve into an equiaxed grain microstructure. Nanoindentation measurements indicate almost no change in hardness after annealing for films that retain the layered morphology, in spite of the increase of in-plane grain dimensions. Significant decreases in hardness are noted for films that develop a coarsened equiaxed grain microstructure after annealing. The mechanism that leads to the development of a thermally stable nanolayered structure is analyzed. Also, the relative effects of in-plane grain size and layer thickness on the multilayer hardness are discussed.

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Influence of the individual layer thickness on the depth resolution determined in sputter depth profiling of multilayers

Thin Solid Films ◽

10.1016/0040-6090(87)90226-4 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 146 (2) ◽

pp. L11-L14 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

D. Marton

Keyword(s):

Layer Thickness ◽

Depth Profiling ◽

Depth Resolution ◽

Individual Layer ◽

Individual Layer Thickness ◽

The Individual

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Individual Layer Thickness of Sol-Gel-Derived BST Thin Films Directs Film Properties

MRS Bulletin ◽

10.1557/mrs2000.234 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 25 (12) ◽

pp. 4-5

Author(s):

Cora Lind

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Layer Thickness ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Film Properties ◽

Individual Layer ◽

Bst Thin Films ◽

Individual Layer Thickness

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Effect of Annealing on Structural Properties of Co Thin Films and Co/Cu Multilayers

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.443-444.193 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 443-444 ◽

pp. 193-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. Hecker ◽

N. Mattern ◽

W. Brückner ◽

C.M. Schneider

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Layer Thickness ◽

Strong Increase ◽

Complete Disappearance ◽

Individual Layer ◽

In Situ Xrd ◽

Individual Layer Thickness ◽

Weak Preference ◽

Grain Orientations ◽

The Individual

The subject of the present investigation is the influence of annealing on the microstructure of Co thin films. In particular, the evolution of the texture during annealing is studied and compared with that of Co/Cu multilayers of different individual layer thicknesses. 400nm thick Co films show a h.c.p. structure with a weak preference of the <001> texture component and a broad distribution of grain orientations. Annealing at about 350°C results in a strong increase of the h.c.p. <001> component, nearly complete disappearance of the statistical distribution and grain growth of a minor f.c.c. fraction in the films. In-situ XRD measurements on single Co films during annealing confirm that the texture change is irreversible. Multilayer stacks of Co/Cu layers show various texture changes depending on the individual layer thickness (ranging between 100nm and 1nm). Generally, with decreasing individual layer thickness and increasing annealing temperature the f.c.c. content in the multilayers increases at the expense of the h.c.p. fraction.

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