Revealing dynamic-mechanical properties of precipitates in a nanostructured thin film using micromechanical spectroscopy

Nanostructured materials with their remarkable properties are key enablers in many modern applications. For example, industrial dry-milling processes would not be as widely spread without the use of hard, wear-resistant metal nitride coatings to protect the cutting tools. However, improving these nanostructured thin films with regard to dynamical properties is demanding as probing respective parameters of (sub-)micron layers without any substrate influence is still challenging. To extend the scientific toolbox for such spatially confined systems, a novel methodological approach based on resonance peak measurements of a cantilever-transducer system termed micromechanical spectroscopy (mu MS) is developed and applied to a Al0.8Cr0.2N model system. The mainly wurtzite type supersaturated Al0.8Cr0.2N system showed precipitation of cubic CrN at grain boundaries and local Cr variations upon annealing at 1050 degrees C. This was accompanied by an increase in the previously unknown damping capability of 63 percent and an increase in Young's modulus by 36 percent.

Automated summary

Nanostructured materials play a key role in various modern applications. For instance, hard and wear-resistant metal nitride coatings are essential in industrial dry-milling processes to protect cutting tools. However, improving the dynamical properties of these nanostructured thin films is challenging due to difficulties in probing parameters of (sub-)micron layers without substrate influence. To address this issue, a novel method called micromechanical spectroscopy (mu MS) based on resonance peak measurements of a cantilever-transducer system is developed and applied to an Al0.8Cr0.2N model system. The research reveals the precipitation of cubic CrN and local Cr variations in the wurtzite-type supersaturated Al0.8Cr0.2N system after annealing at 1050 degrees C, resulting in a 63 percent increase in damping capability and a 36 percent increase in Young's modulus.