Ag Surface and Bulk Segregations in Sputtered ZrCuAlNi Metallic Glass Thin Films |
| |
| Authors: | Michael K. Steinhoff,Damian M. Holzapfel,Soheil Karimi Aghda,Deborah Neuß ,Peter J. Pö llmann,Marcus Hans,Daniel Primetzhofer,Jochen M. Schneider,Clio Azina |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1.Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstraße 10, D-52074 Aachen, Germany; (M.K.S.); (D.M.H.); (S.K.A.); (D.N.); (P.J.P.); (M.H.); (J.M.S.);2.Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, S-75120 Uppsala, Sweden; |
| |
| Abstract: | We report on the formation of Ag-containing ZrCuAlNi thin film metallic glass (nano)composites by a hybrid direct-current magnetron sputtering and high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering process. The effects of Ag content, substrate temperature and substrate bias potential on the phase formation and morphology of the nanocomposites were investigated. While applying a substrate bias potential did not strongly affect the morphological evolution of the films, the Ag content dictated the size and distribution of Ag surface segregations. The films deposited at low temperatures were characterized by strong surface segregations, formed by coalescence and Ostwald ripening, while the volume of the films remained featureless. At higher deposition temperature, elongated Ag segregations were observed in the bulk and a continuous Ag layer was formed at the surface as a result of thermally enhanced surface diffusion. While microstructural observations have allowed identifying both surface and bulk segregations, an indirect method for detecting the presence of Ag segregations is proposed, by measuring the electrical resistivity of the films. |
| |
| Keywords: | thin film metallic glass nanocomposites segregation electrical resistivity |
|
|
