Title: Phase‐Control Enabled Superior Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Nanocrystalline Tungsten‐Molybdenum Thin Films

Abstract

The authors report on the design and stabilization of the mechanically hard and electrically resistive β ‐phase W‐Mo nanocrystalline thin films at room‐temperature ( RT ). The W‐Mo films are deposited under different deposition temperatures in the range of T _s  =  RT –30 °C. Structural analyses indicate that, as deposited at RT , the W‐Mo films crystallize in the metastable β ‐phase, while those deposited at higher T _s (100–300 °C) exhibit the thermodynamically stable α ‐phase. The phase‐effect is significant on the mechanical characteristics; superior hardness ( H ); and modulus of elasticity ( E _r ) are found in β ‐than in α ‐phase W‐Mo films. At the β ‐to‐ α phase transformation, significant reduction occurs in H (40 → 25 GPa) and E _r (275 → 225 GPa) coupled with a reduction in electrical‐resistivity (320 → 180 µΩ‐cm). Their findings and the phase‐mechanical‐electrical property correlation established may provide further possibilities to design and tailor the performance of W‐based thin films for future electronic and electromechanical device applications.

Authors:

Martinez, G. ^[1]; Ramana, C. V. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Texas at El Paso El Paso Texas 79968 USA

Publication Date:

Wed Jun 28 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1400477

Grant/Contract Number:  

# DOE‐FOA‐000365

Resource Type:

Publisher's Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Advanced Engineering Materials

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Advanced Engineering Materials Journal Volume: 19 Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1438-1656

Publisher:

Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)

Country of Publication:

Germany

Language:

English