Microstructure and mechanical properties of electrodeposited Al1-xMnx/Al1-yMny nanostructured multilayers

Nanostructured Al1-xMnx/Al1-yMny multilayers were deposited from room temperature ionic liquid using galvanostatic control at various current densities and electrolyte compositions. By tuning the deposition parameters, multilayers with both micrometer and nanometer layer thicknesses were synthesized, with modulation of the elastic modulus and hardness between Mn-lean and Mn-rich layers. Surface morphology, composition, and microstructure of the films were characterized using x-ray diffraction and electron microanalysis tools. Nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical and tribological properties of selected multilayers. Finally, the effects of deposition parameters on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the multilayers were discussed.