Abstract
This article reports on properties of Al-Si-Cu-N films with 5-9 at.% Si and 2-12 at.% Cu magnetron sputtered from a composed (Al, Si)-Cu target. The films were deposited under the following conditions: Magnetron discharge current Id = 1 A, negative substrate bias Us = - 100 V, substrate ion current density is = 0.6 and 0.9 mA/cm2, substrate temperature Ts = 300 and 500 °C, substrate-to-target distance ds-t = 60 mm, partial pressure of nitrogen pN(2) ranging from 0.05 to 0.17 Pa and a constant total pressure pT = pAr+pN(2) = 0.5 Pa. It was demonstrated that (1) the structure of Al-Si-Cu-N films can be controlled by energy delivered to the film during its deposition; (2) the Al-Si-Cu-N films can form a superhard material with hardness H≥40 GPa; (3) superhard films with the same microhardness can exhibit different structures characterized either with a low-intensity h-AlN(0 0 2) reflection or an X-ray amorphous structure, i.e. can be composed of nc-AlNx grains of different size; (4) the system Al-Si-Cu-N easily forms a disordered structure characterized with X-ray amorphous diffraction pattern; (5) the Al-Si-Cu-N film with a maximum microhardness of 59 GPa exhibits (i) an X-ray amorphous structure; (ii) contains 44 at.% Al, 42 at.% N, 7 at.% Cu and 6 at.% Si and (iii) is substoichiometric, i.e. x = N/(Al+Si) = 0.84 < 1 and (6) the Al-Si-Cu-N films with nitrogen content N≥44 at.% are electrically insulating. The demonstration of a possibility to form the X-ray amorphous superhard films is of key scientific importance. It makes possible to start investigation of the grain size dependent phenomena in nanostructured films prepared by two-step process based on nanocrystallization from amorphous phase using a post-deposition annealing.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 121-130 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Thin Solid Films |
| Volume | 413 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Jun 2002 |
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Keywords
- Al-Si-Cu-N nanostructured films
- Chemical composition
- Magnetron sputtering
- Mechanical properties
- Structure
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Surfaces and Interfaces
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films
- Metals and Alloys
- Materials Chemistry
Cite this
Relationship between structure and mechanical properties in hard Al-Si-Cu-N films prepared by magnetron sputtering. / Musil, J.; Zeman, H.; Kasl, J.
In: Thin Solid Films, Vol. 413, No. 1-2, 24.06.2002, p. 121-130.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationship between structure and mechanical properties in hard Al-Si-Cu-N films prepared by magnetron sputtering
AU - Musil, J.
AU - Zeman, H.
AU - Kasl, J.
PY - 2002/6/24
Y1 - 2002/6/24
N2 - This article reports on properties of Al-Si-Cu-N films with 5-9 at.% Si and 2-12 at.% Cu magnetron sputtered from a composed (Al, Si)-Cu target. The films were deposited under the following conditions: Magnetron discharge current Id = 1 A, negative substrate bias Us = - 100 V, substrate ion current density is = 0.6 and 0.9 mA/cm2, substrate temperature Ts = 300 and 500 °C, substrate-to-target distance ds-t = 60 mm, partial pressure of nitrogen pN(2) ranging from 0.05 to 0.17 Pa and a constant total pressure pT = pAr+pN(2) = 0.5 Pa. It was demonstrated that (1) the structure of Al-Si-Cu-N films can be controlled by energy delivered to the film during its deposition; (2) the Al-Si-Cu-N films can form a superhard material with hardness H≥40 GPa; (3) superhard films with the same microhardness can exhibit different structures characterized either with a low-intensity h-AlN(0 0 2) reflection or an X-ray amorphous structure, i.e. can be composed of nc-AlNx grains of different size; (4) the system Al-Si-Cu-N easily forms a disordered structure characterized with X-ray amorphous diffraction pattern; (5) the Al-Si-Cu-N film with a maximum microhardness of 59 GPa exhibits (i) an X-ray amorphous structure; (ii) contains 44 at.% Al, 42 at.% N, 7 at.% Cu and 6 at.% Si and (iii) is substoichiometric, i.e. x = N/(Al+Si) = 0.84 < 1 and (6) the Al-Si-Cu-N films with nitrogen content N≥44 at.% are electrically insulating. The demonstration of a possibility to form the X-ray amorphous superhard films is of key scientific importance. It makes possible to start investigation of the grain size dependent phenomena in nanostructured films prepared by two-step process based on nanocrystallization from amorphous phase using a post-deposition annealing.
AB - This article reports on properties of Al-Si-Cu-N films with 5-9 at.% Si and 2-12 at.% Cu magnetron sputtered from a composed (Al, Si)-Cu target. The films were deposited under the following conditions: Magnetron discharge current Id = 1 A, negative substrate bias Us = - 100 V, substrate ion current density is = 0.6 and 0.9 mA/cm2, substrate temperature Ts = 300 and 500 °C, substrate-to-target distance ds-t = 60 mm, partial pressure of nitrogen pN(2) ranging from 0.05 to 0.17 Pa and a constant total pressure pT = pAr+pN(2) = 0.5 Pa. It was demonstrated that (1) the structure of Al-Si-Cu-N films can be controlled by energy delivered to the film during its deposition; (2) the Al-Si-Cu-N films can form a superhard material with hardness H≥40 GPa; (3) superhard films with the same microhardness can exhibit different structures characterized either with a low-intensity h-AlN(0 0 2) reflection or an X-ray amorphous structure, i.e. can be composed of nc-AlNx grains of different size; (4) the system Al-Si-Cu-N easily forms a disordered structure characterized with X-ray amorphous diffraction pattern; (5) the Al-Si-Cu-N film with a maximum microhardness of 59 GPa exhibits (i) an X-ray amorphous structure; (ii) contains 44 at.% Al, 42 at.% N, 7 at.% Cu and 6 at.% Si and (iii) is substoichiometric, i.e. x = N/(Al+Si) = 0.84 < 1 and (6) the Al-Si-Cu-N films with nitrogen content N≥44 at.% are electrically insulating. The demonstration of a possibility to form the X-ray amorphous superhard films is of key scientific importance. It makes possible to start investigation of the grain size dependent phenomena in nanostructured films prepared by two-step process based on nanocrystallization from amorphous phase using a post-deposition annealing.
KW - Al-Si-Cu-N nanostructured films
KW - Chemical composition
KW - Magnetron sputtering
KW - Mechanical properties
KW - Structure
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037166543&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0040-6090(02)00357-7
DO - 10.1016/S0040-6090(02)00357-7
M3 - Article
VL - 413
SP - 121
EP - 130
JO - Thin Solid Films
JF - Thin Solid Films
SN - 0040-6090
IS - 1-2
ER -