Development of multifunctional thin films using high-throughput experimentation methods

Abstract

This paper describes the use of thin film high-throughput experimentation methods for the efficient development of multifunctional materials, using Ni – Ti – X and ferromagnetic shape memory alloys as examples. The thin films were fabricated in the form of binary, ternary, and quaternary materials libraries by special magnetron sputter deposition processes. These materials libraries were subsequently processed and characterized by high-throughput experimentation methods in order to relate compositional information with structural and functional properties. For this, appropriate visualization of the data is necessary. Results show that the martensitically transforming regions in ternary thin films are generally larger than was known from literature. Within these regions, the variation of the functional properties can be mapped with respect to the composition and microstructure, and thus the most suitable materials for applications can be effectively selected.

Exploration and Development of High Entropy Alloys for Structural Applications

“…Producing HEA materials libraries with controlled composition gradients of 5 or more elements is challenging. Approaches are now available for controlled composition gradients in 4-component systems using physical vapor deposition (PVD) [68]. Diffusion multiples are commonly used for ternary systems [67], and more complex alloys can be produced with 5 or more elemental wedges meeting at a point (Figure 4a).…”

High-entropy alloys: a critical assessment of their founding principles and future prospects

“…The second stage involves rapid experimental evaluation of microstructure and elementary mechanical and environmental properties, using samples containing gradients in composition such that chemistries around the equimolar one selected can be sampled -the importance of sampling such space has been stressed recently by Pradeep et al, 211 who have also examined rapid-through-put screening of HEAs. The production of compositionally gradiented samples can be achieved, for example, by the use of physical vapour deposition (see work of Ludwig et al 289,290 ), and microstructural characterisation can be accomplished through the use of simultaneous EDX analysis and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in the SEM. The third stage involves rapid experimental evaluation of the mechanical properties of candidate alloys using samples containing gradients in microstructure (for instance, grain size).…”

Investigation of ternary subsystems of superalloys by thin-film combinatorial synthesis and high-throughput analysis

“…Co-Ti-W materials libraries were fabricated on polycrystalline 4-inch diameter Al 2 O 3 substrates by magnetron sputtering applying a wedge-type multilayer approach, with 120 • rotations between each layer, as described in [8,12]. The substrate was heated to 300 • C during deposition.…”

“…The measurements were carried out at room-temperature using a PANalytical X' Pert PRO MRD system (PiXcel detector, Cu K α radiation, angular measurement range: 30 • − 85 • 2 , spot-size: 3 mm × 5 mm). Resistance mappings were performed using a custom-designed highthroughput test stand as described in [12]. For four-point electrical resistance measurements a measurement grid with 3084 measurement areas and regular distances of 1.5 mm between the measurement areas was used.…”