Microstructure-controlled depth gradients of mechanical properties in thin nanocrystalline films: Towards structure-property gradient functionalization

摘要: Although the influence of grain size on mechanical properties polycrystalline materials is well understood, occurrence depth-gradients size, microstructure, and residual stresses in nanocrystalline thin films their effect functional a phenomenon which has not yet been studied detail. Hence this work, single-layered mosaic epitaxial as multilayered CrN were characterized by combination averaging depth-resolved experimental techniques, such cross-sectional X-ray nanodiffraction small-angle nanoindentation. The results reveal fundamental relationship between gradients stresses, controlled film growth conditions, hardness elastic modulus. compressive stress structural defects associated with high particle energy was found to be dominant over crystallographic texture. These findings open way functionalize structure-property through microstructural design demonstrated for films.