Effect of film thickness on structural and mechanical properties of AlCrN nanocompoite thin films deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering
- Functional Nanomaterial Research lab, Department of Physics and Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee-247667, Uttarakhand (India)
In this study, the influence of film thickness on the structural, surface morphology and mechanical properties of Aluminum chromium nitride (AlCrN) thin films has been successfully investigated. The AlCrN thin films were deposited on silicon (100) substrate using dc magnetron reactive co-sputtering at substrate temperature 400° C. The structural, surface morphology and mechanical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation techniques respectively. The thickness of these thin films was controlled by varying the deposition time therefore increase in deposition time led to increase in film thickness. X-ray diffraction pattern of AlCrN thin films with different deposition time shows the presence of (100) and (200) orientations. The crystallite size varies in the range from 12.5 nm to 36.3 nm with the film thickness due to surface energy minimization with the higher film thickness. The hardness pattern of these AlCrN thin films follows Hall-Petch relation. The highest hardness 23.08 Gpa and young modulus 215.31 Gpa were achieved at lowest grain size of 12.5 nm.
- OSTI ID:
- 22606663
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1728, Issue 1; Conference: ICC 2015: International conference on condensed matter and applied physics, Bikaner (India), 30-31 Oct 2015; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
FIELD EMISSION
GRAIN SIZE
HARDNESS
MAGNETRONS
NANOCOMPOSITES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE ENERGY
SURFACES
TERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
X RADIATION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
YOUNG MODULUS