Stability of nanosized alloy thin films: Faulting and phase separation in metastable Ni/Cu/Ag-W films

A comparative study of Me(=Ni/Cu/Ag)-based, W-alloyed, nanocrystalline, heavily faulted thin films was carried out to identify parameters stabilizing the nanocrystalline nature upon thermal treatment. The three systems, initially of comparably, heavily twinned (twin boundaries at spacings of 1-5 nm) microstructures showed similarities but also strikingly different behaviours upon annealing, as observed by application of in particular X-ray diffraction (line-broadening) analysis and (high resolution) transmission electron microscopy. During annealing in the range of 30-600 degrees C, (i) segregation at the planar faults (for Me = Ni) and at grain boundaries (for Me = Ni,Cu,Ag), as well as nanoscale phase separation (for Me = Cu,Ag) take place, (ii) distinct grain growth does not occur and (iii) the twin boundaries either are largely preserved ((Ni(W) and Ag(W)):or disappear totally (Cu(W))), which was ascribed to an altered faulting energy, due to change of the amount of W segregated at the twin boundaries, and to the evolution of nano-precipitates. The nanosized films exhibit very large internal (macro)stresses parallel to the surface, which change during annealing in the range of 1 GPa (tensile) to -3 GPa (compressive) and thus are sensitive to the microstructural changes in the films (decomposition and relaxation) that happen on a nanoscale. The results are discussed in terms of thermodynamic and/or kinetic constraints controlling these processes and thus the thermal stability of the systems concerned.