The influence of varied modulation ratios on crystallization and mechanical properties of nanoscale TiB2/Al2O3 multilayers

A Comparative Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Tib₂/Cr Multilayer Film by Indentation

“…TiB2 has been wildly used for wear parts, seals, cutting tools, and metal matrix composites due to its high hardness and wear resistance [12]. Multilayering TiB2 with metallics (such as Cr [13], Ti [14], FeMn [15]), carbides and nitrides (such as TiAlN [16], TiN [17], TiC [18,19], VC [20], BN [21]), oxides (such as Al2O3 [22]), and carbon-based layers [23] have been reported to further improve the mechanical properties of the TiB2. In our recent work [24], alternating TiB2-dcMS and Cr-HiPIMS layers are used to fabricate TiB2/Cr multilayer films with varying the Cr interlayer thickness, 2 and 5 nm, and the substrate bias during growth of Cr interlayers from floating, to -60 V and -200 V. The results reveal that increasing the substrate bias during Cr interlayer growth from floating to -60 V produces increases of both film hardness and elastic modulus.…”