Nanoscale size effects on the mechanical properties of platinum thin films and cross-sectional grain morphology

Abstract
© 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. The mechanical behavior of polycrystalline Pt thin films is reported for thicknesses of 75 nm, 100 nm, 250 nm, and 400 nm. These thicknesses correspond to transitions between nanocrystalline grain morphology types as found in TEM studies. Thinner samples display a brittle behavior, but as thickness increases the grain morphology evolves, leading to a ductile behavior. During evolution of the morphology, dramatic differences in elastic moduli (105-160 GPa) and strengths (560-1700 MPa) are recorded and explained by the variable morphology. This work suggests that in addition to the in-plane grain size of thin films, the transitions in cross-sectional morphologies of the Pt films significantly affect their mechanical behavior.

Citation
Abbas K, Alaie S, Ghasemi Baboly M, Elahi MMM, Anjum DH, et al. (2015) Nanoscale size effects on the mechanical properties of platinum thin films and cross-sectional grain morphology. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 26: 015007. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/26/1/015007.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the support and assistance provided by Electron Micro-Beam Analysis Facility of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and its staff at the University of New Mexico during the preparation and imaging of the samples for this work.

Publisher
IOP Publishing

Journal
Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

DOI
10.1088/0960-1317/26/1/015007

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