Xu Junhua

The microstructure and mechanical properties of TaN/TiN and TaWN/TiN superlattice films

Abstract The microstructure and the microhardness of the TaN/TiN and TaWN/TiN superlattice films have been studied with X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and microhardness tester. The results showed that both TaN/TiN and TaWN/TiN superlattice films have a cubic crystal structure with an epitaxially grown mode of polycrystallinity. Lattice constants of superlattice films are between those of the constituent materials. The superhardness effect was found in TaN/TiN and TaWN/TiN superlattice films and the maximum hardness value was 40.0 GPa at a modulation period of 9.0 nm for TaN/TiN, and 50.0 GPa at a modulation period of 5.6 nm for TaWN/TiN. It is proposed that the lattice mismatch affects the microhardness value and the peak position of maximum hardness. The inhibition of dislocation motion by alternating stress fields of interfacial coherent strains is believed responsible for hardness anomalies.

Alternating stress field and superhardness effect in TiN/NbN superlattice films

In order to study the superhardness effect of superlattice films, a series of TiN/NbN superlattice films with various modulation periods were synthesized by reactive sputter deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and microhardness analysis were employed to characterize the modulation structure, interface structure and microhardness of these superlattice films. The results show that TiN/NbN films possess good periodic modulation structure and the modulation interfaces are straight and clear. The superlattice films have a face-centered-cubic polycrystalline structure resulting from epitaxial growth. They assume unusual microhardness which can reach a peak value of HK 39.0 GPa at a modulation period of 8.3 nm. It is considered by analysis that the superhardness effect of TiN/NbN superlattice films results from the strengthening effect of an alternating stress field, which is caused by the epitaxial growth of two kinds of materials with different lattice constants.

Growth, microstructure, and microhardness of W/Mo nanostructured multilayers

Artificially modulated W/Mo multilayers on polished stainless-steel substrates with modulation wavelength Λ ranging from 4.0 to 60.0 nm and total film thickness of 2.0 μm were prepared by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy showed that though the polycrystalline films exhibited coherent interfaces, the interfaces have a wave-like appearance due to the different orientations of individual crystals. The interplanar spacings of the W and Mo layers determined by the XRD method in W/Mo multilayers varied with the modulation wavelength. The mechanical properties of these films were investigated by a low-load microhardness indentation technique. The maximum hardness enhancement is about 51% higher than the value calculated from the role of mixtures at wavelength Λ=10.0 nm. The Koehler’s modulus difference model and Cahn’s coherent stress model have been used to estimate the hardness enhancement of W/Mo multilayers. From the comparison of theoretical ...

Microstructure and mechanical properties of polycrystalline NbN/TaN superlattice films

The polycrystalline NbN/TaN superlattice films have been grown on the substrates of 18-8 stainless steel by reactive magnetron sputtering. The microstructure and microhardness of the superlattice films have been studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM) and microhardness tester. The results showed that the NbN layers are of face cubic and the TaN layers are hexagonal crystal structure in the NbN/TaN superlattice films. The lattice plane (111) of NbN are coherent with the (110) of TaN and the lattice mismatch is 3.18%. The NbN/TaN superlattice film demonstrated superhardness effects. The maximum Knoop hardness value reached 5100 kgf/mm2 with a modulation period from 2.3 nm to 17.0 nm. It was proved that even if NbN layers did not take the same crystal structure as TaN layers, hardness anomalous phenomenon still can be produced as long as the coherent strains exist.