Coherent epitaxial growth and superhardness effects of c-TiN/h-TiB{sub 2} nanomultilayers
- State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030 (China)
TiN/TiB{sub 2} nanomultilayers with different TiB{sub 2} layer thicknesses were deposited by the multitarget magnetron sputtering method. Studies show that because of the template effects of the cubic TiN layer, the normally amorphous TiB{sub 2} layer crystallizes into a compact hexagonal structure when its thickness is less than 2.9 nm. As a result, the multilayers form a c-TiN/h-TiB{sub 2} coherent epitaxial structure with the orientation relationship of {l_brace}111{r_brace}{sub TiN}//{l_brace}0001{r_brace}{sub TiB{sub 2}}, <110>{sub TiN}//<1120>{sub TiB{sub 2}}. Correspondingly, the multilayers show a significant hardness enhancement with a maximum hardness of 46.9 GPa. Further increase in TiB{sub 2} layer thickness leads to the formation of amorphous TiB{sub 2} that blocks the coherent growth of the films, and thus the hardness of the multilayers decreases gradually.
- OSTI ID:
- 20702558
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 87, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.1951047; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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