Mechanical properties of Cu/Ta multilayers prepared by magnetron sputtering

The microstructure and mechanical properties of sputtered Cu/Ta multilayers were studied. X- ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy characterization indicate that both the Ta and Cu in the 2 nm period multilayer are predominantly amorphous, while in longer period samples, the layers are crystalline, with the metastable tetragonal {beta}-Ta observed. No observable microstructure changes upon annealing at 300{degrees}C were found. An average Vickers micro- hardness value of about 5.5 GPa was measured, which increases about 5% upon annealing at 300{degrees}C. Residual stress in the multilayers and its dependence on thermal annealing are reported. The relationships between microstructure and mechanical properties in the multilayers are discussed.

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