Structure Zone Investigation of Multiple Principle Element Alloy Thin Films as Optimization for Nanoindentation Measurements.

Multiple principal element alloys, also often referred to as compositionally complex alloys or high entropy alloys, present extreme challenges to characterize. They show a vast, multidimensional composition space that merits detailed investigation and optimization to identify compositions and to map the composition ranges where useful properties are maintained. Combinatorial thin film material libraries are a cost-effective and efficient way to create directly comparable, controlled composition variations.

Effects of the Ion to Growth Flux Ratio on the Constitution and Mechanical Properties of Cr-Al-N Thin Films.

Cr-Al-N thin film materials libraries were synthesized by combinatorial reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). Different HiPIMS repetition frequencies and peak power densities were applied altering the ion to growth flux ratio. Moreover, time-resolved ion energy distribution functions were measured with a retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA).

Controlling the Amorphous and Crystalline State of Multinary Alloy Nanoparticles in An Ionic Liquid.

Controlling the amorphous or crystalline state of multinary Cr-Mn-Fe-Co-Ni alloy nanoparticles with sizes in the range between ~1.7 nm and ~4.8 nm is achieved using three processing routes.

PEALD of SiO and AlO Thin Films on Polypropylene: Investigations of the Film Growth at the Interface, Stress, and Gas Barrier Properties of Dyads.

A study on the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of amorphous inorganic oxides SiO and AlO on polypropylene (PP) was carried out with respect to growth taking place at the interface of the polymer substrate and the thin film employing in situ quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) experiments. A model layer of spin-coated PP (scPP) was deposited on QCM crystals prior to depositions to allow a transfer of findings from QCM studies to industrially applied PP foil. The influence of precursor choice (trimethylaluminum (TMA) vs [3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-dimethyl aluminum (DMAD)) and of plasma pretreatment on the monitored QCM response was investigated.

Combinatorial investigation of Fe-B thin-film nanocomposites.

Combinatorial magnetron sputter deposition from elemental targets was used to create Fe-B composition spread type thin film materials libraries on thermally oxidized 4-in. Si wafers. The materials libraries consisting of wedge-type multilayer thin films were annealed at 500 or 700 °C to transform the multilayers into multiphase alloys.