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The corrosion behavior of the TiN monolayer and CrN/TiN multilayer coatings deposited via cathodic arc evaporation physical vapor deposition (CAE‐PVD) on the Ti–6Al–4V substrates were evaluated in Ringer's and Hank's physiological saline electrolytes. XRD (x‐ray diffractometry) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were used to characterize the coatings. The corrosion behavior of coatings was assessed by impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization techniques. The results showed that the corrosion resistance of coatings was increased in the order of TiN‐Ringer's < TiN‐Hank's < CrN/TiN‐Ringer's < CrN/TiN‐Hank's. Therefore, it can be concluded that the CrN/TiN coating, due to having a large number of interfaces and a smoother surface with fewer macroparticles and pinholes, is more efficient in raising the corrosion resistance properties of titanium than TiN monolayer coating. Moreover, it was observed that Ringer's solution is a more severe environment than Hank's solution. Both coatings, because of the precipitation of a protective corrosion products layer on their surface, showed an enhancement in corrosion resistance with increasing the immersion time from 1 to 14 days in Hank's. The results suggest TiN monolayer and CrN/TiN multilayer coatings as promising candidates for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to compare the corrosion and tribological performance of TiN/CrN and CrN/TiN nanostructured multi-layer coatings deposited through cathodic arc evaporation PVD on 410-grade stainless steel. Both coating configurations were available in smooth (polished) and rough states. For the deposition of multi-layer coatings, a middle layer containing Cr and CrN was deposited to the substrate, followed by alternating nanolayers of TiN and CrN. finally, an upper layer of either CrN or TiN was applied. The nanoindentation test revealed that the hardness, Young's modulus, H/E, and H3/E2 ratios of the coating with a TiN upper layer were 5.57, 1.42, 3.86, and 85.39 times of the substrate, respectively. At the coating with CrN upper layer, these values were 4.04, 1.13, 3.53, and 51.68 times of the substrate, respectively. Results showed that increasing the H/E and H3/E2 ratios increased wear resistance. Wear rates of smooth and rough TiN coatings and smooth and rough CrN coatings were reduced by 86%, 99%, 53%, and 26%, respectively, compared to the substrate. Results of the corrosion test showed that the rough CrN coating had greater corrosion resistance than the coating with a TiN upper layer and the substrate due to its higher hydrophobicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐entropy metal sublattice coatings (HESCs) prepared by physical vapor deposition (PVD) have received attention due to their diverse range of properties and applications. One of the most critical requirements for their synthesis is the prediction and control of their widespread properties, and several efforts have been undertaken using various thermodynamical parameters. The majority of these predictions concentrate on high‐entropy alloys (HEAs) while high‐entropy ceramics receive little attention. One of the most important parameters to control the structure and properties of HEAs is their atomic radius mismatch (δr), which is applied to crystalline, amorphous, and composite (amorphous matrix, crystalline matrix, and multilayer) HESCs. Based on the relationships between δr and structure, mixing enthalpy (ΔHmix), electronegativity difference (Δχ), ion bonding percentage (IBPHE), mechanical properties (including hardness, H, and Young's modulus, E), and wear performance descriptors (H/E and H3/E2 ratios), a δr‐based map to aid the design and selection of elements for HESCs is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the wear and electrochemical behaviors of CrN/AlCrN multilayered coatings post‐annealed at 300, 450, and 600°C temperatures. The cathodic arc evaporation technique has been utilized to deposit the coatings. Scanning electron microscope, field emission SEM, energy‐dispersive X‐ray, grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction, and Rockwell‐C indenter methods were used to characterize the coatings and to investigate the interdiffusion between the multilayered CrN/AlCrN and the H13 base metal. The results showed that the sharp interface of the CrN and AlCrN layers was blurred by the annealing process supporting the interdiffusion of the layers. The reciprocating wear test and the microhardness tester were used to evaluate the coatings' mechanical behavior. The hardness and roughness of the coatings were increased by increasing the post‐annealing temperature. The smallest wear rates were observed for the samples treated at 300 and 450°C, which were approximately 17 times and 12 times smaller than the wear rate of the sample annealed at 600°C. Electrochemical testing was used to study the corrosion behavior of the coatings. The results showed that by increasing annealing temperature, corrosion resistances of the coatings are improved. As a result, the corrosion current density of the 600°C annealed coating was approximately 434 times smaller than as‐deposited coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding titanium (Ti) and silicon (Si) elements on the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the AlCrN‐based coating. For this purpose, a cathodic arc physical vapor deposition machine was used. Scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and nanoindentation tests were utilized for morphological, microstructural, and mechanical characterization of the coatings. The hardness value and plastic deformation index of CrAlN‐based coating increase with the presence of Si element. The mechanical properties improvement is attributed to the reduction of crystallite size as well as to the tendency of the coating structure to become amorphous. The specimens were subjected to 3.5 wt% NaCl solution to electrochemical impedance corrosion and potentiodynamic polarization tests. The results showed that by increasing the coatings' titanium content, the coatings' corrosion resistance improved. Moreover, by adding 3% and 5% of Si elements to the coatings' composition, the corrosion resistance of the AlCrTiSiN coatings was enhanced by 35% and 78%, respectively. Improving the corrosion resistance of the AlCrN‐based coatings by adding the Si element is attributed to the change in the microstructure and reduction in the porosity of the coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to study the tribological and electrochemical properties of the CrN/AlCrN nano-layer deposited on H13 tool steel. Arc physical technique was employed to deposit multilayer coating. X-ray diffraction technique, thermionic and field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy have been used to determine the characteristics of the samples. To study the samples' wear behavior, coating adhesion, and surface hardness, reciprocating wear test, Rockwell-C test, and microhardness Vickers tester were employed, respectively. The measured values of the coefficient of friction and the calculated wear rates showed that the CrN/AlCrN multilayer coating has a much higher wear resistance than the uncoated sample. The coefficient of the friction of the coated sample was 0.53 and that of the uncoated sample was 0.78. Moreover, the wear rate of the coated H13 steel was about 127 times lower than the bare H13 steel sample. The results obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization tests demonstrated that the corrosion current density of the H13 steel sample was 8 μA/cm² and that of the CrN/AlCrN multilayer-coated sample was 3 μA/cm². In addition, the polarization resistance of the treated and the substrate specimens was estimated at 4.2 and 2.7 kΩ.cm², respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal goal of this research is to produce a CrN/Cu multilayer coating and a CrN single-layer coating and also compare their electrochemical and antibacterial behavior. In this investigation, the coatings were applied to the stainless steel substrate by cathodic arc evaporation a sub-division of physical vapor deposition (CAE-PVD). The present phases were characterized and the thickness of the coatings was measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively. Rockwell-C tester was used to evaluate the adhesion quality. Also, to evaluate the mechanical properties of the coatings such as modulus of elasticity and hardness, a nanoindentation test was used and the indentation effect and coating topography were evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Studying the electrochemical behavior of the coatings was done using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) tests in Ringer's solution. The results of EIS tests showed that the CrN coating had higher polarization resistance in comparison to the CrN/Cu coating and an increasing trend of polarization resistance related to both coatings was identified by rising the time of immersion. Also, using the PDP curves, the CrN and CrN/Cu coating current densities were estimated at 1.835×10-8 and 2.088×10-8, respectively. The antibacterial activity of CrN and CrN/Cu coatings was evaluated by the spot-inoculation method. The results of the antibacterial test indicated that compared to CrN coating, CrN/Cu coating had a better impact on the control of the bacteria growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate how the predeposition machining processes such as magnetic grinding, turning machining, and wire electrical discharge machining can influence the surface properties including electrochemical and tribological behavior of TiCrN nanostructured coating applied on Mo40 steel substrate. A physical vapor deposition technique using cathodic arc evaporation was used to apply the coating. The crystallographic phases and the microstructure of the coating were studied by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. Rockwell‐C, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization, and pin‐on‐disk wear tests were employed to evaluate the adhesion strength, corrosion behavior, and tribological property of specimens, respectively. The electrochemical results after 24 h of exposure to 3.5 wt% NaCl solution showed that TiCrN coating pretreated with a turning process with polarization resistance of about 3525.32 Ω.cm2 had the best corrosion resistance among all specimens. This was because of the improvement of the smoothness, surface quality, and adhesion after the turning process. On the other, the friction coefficient of the grounded sample is less than that of other ones. This is probably due to its higher adhesion strength and higher surface smoothness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The examination of the existing relationships between nanoindentation responses and tribological properties of the nanostructured CrN, Cr(CN), and (CrTi)N coatings was the matters to be considered in this research. A cathodic arc physical vapor deposition machine was therefore implemented to apply the chosen coatings on the DIN 1.2510 tool steel substrate. Moreover, an X‐ray diffraction and a field emission scanning electron microscope were utilized in order to show the features regarding microstructure and morphology of these very coatings. The mechanical and tribological behavior of the coatings was expected to be assessed with the use of a nanoindentation and pin‐on‐disc wear tests. According to the obtained result, the wear resistance and hardness value of the (CrTi)N coating were proved to be much better than those of the CrN and Cr(CN). Linear equations were proposed between wear rate/hardness and friction coefficient/hardness to evaluate the correlation between mechanical and tribological properties. The presence of a quadratic equation between the friction coefficient and the plastic deformation index was also discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work is to study the CrN single‐layer coating and the Cr/CrN nanolayered coating by cathodic arc evaporation physical vapor deposition (CAE‐PVD) on AISI 304 stainless steel and to assess the electrochemical behavior of the coatings. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) were utilized to study the morphology and microstructure of the coatings. The mechanical behavior of the coatings was studied by the nanoindentation technique. The electrochemical behavior of the formed coatings in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was investigated via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) tests. Based on the microscopic images, it was realized that both CrN and Cr/CrN coatings were formed having a dense structure on the substrate. The results of EIS measurements showed gradual changes in the polarization resistance of the Cr/CrN nanolayered coating during the immersion time. However, significant changes in the polarization resistance of the CrN single‐layer coating were seen by increasing immersion time comparing with the Cr/CrN coating. The higher polarization resistance of the Cr/CrN coating can be attributed to the effects of the interface between the layers in comparison to the CrN coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this investigation was to assess the effect of post-deposition annealing treatment on the electrochemical behavior of TiN coating developed on AISI 304 stainless steel substrate using cathodic arc evaporation physical vapor deposition (CAE-PVD). Post-annealing treatment at 400°C was performed on the coated substrate for 1 h. The studied samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. The preferred orientation of TiN (111) was verified by XRD patterns. The crystallinity of the coating was increased after annealing treatment. SEM observations indicated that TiN coatings free of cracks were developed on the substrate. The electrochemical measurements elucidated that the annealed coating had better corrosion resistance compared to that of the as-deposited coating with a lower current corrosion density. This investigation implies that improved corrosion performance of the TiN coating can achieved by performing post-deposition annealing treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The short electrode life is one of the most important problems associated with resistance spot welding of galvanised steel sheets. In this study, a nanolayered multi-layer CrN/(Cr,Al)N coating was deposited on the tip of the electrode by applying the cathodic arc physical vapour deposition process with the layer thickness of about 30 nm and an overall thickness of 1.1 µm. The electrode life test confirmed that the coating could extend the electrode life up to 125%. The coated electrode showed a significantly lower growth rate (∼0.3 µm per weld), in comparison to the un-coated one (∼1 µm per weld). The degradation of the electrode could be subdivided into two subsequent steps: the degradation of the electrode periphery and the degradation of the electrode tip. The CrN/(Cr,Al)N coating could effectively protect the electrode tip periphery from zinc adhesion and postpone the first stage electrode degradation which delayed the second one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, TiN coatings were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface using cathodic arc evaporation (CAE) deposition process at three different bias voltages (-150, -200 and -250 V) applied to the substrate. In this regard, the effect of bias voltage on the microstructure and corrosion behaviour of coatings was studied. The microstructure of the coated specimens was analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The corrosion behaviour of the coatings was studied by potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) experiments and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in the simulated media. Studies on SEM images showed that formed coatings at bias of -200 V exhibited the least amount of needle like cavities (0.4%) and macroparticles. Studying the effect of bias voltage on the corrosion behaviour of the coatings deposited at three bias voltages showed that the maximum corrosion resistance was obtained at -200 V and this voltage had the least current density in polarization measurements (5.59× 10-7 A/cm2). So, it was considered as the optimal bias voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research is to determine the effect of N2 pressure to argon pressure on the microstructural analysis and corrosion behavior of nanostructured TaN deposited coatings using a reactive DC‐magnetron sputtering (RDCMS) technique. The samples coated microstructure was studied by the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and elemental distribution was studied using energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). To investigate the corrosion behavior of nanostructured TaN coatings, the potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were performed in Hank's physiological solution. The results of different tests revealed that the coating with a content of 17.6% PN2/PAr consisted of hexagonal and orthorhombic TaN phases and had denser microstructure and free pores. This coating showed superior corrosion behavior in comparison to the other ones. Also, the corrosion resistance of this coating raised by increasing the time of immersion from 48 to 168 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the tribological and corrosion behavior of TiN/CrN nanostructured multilayer coating on H13 carburized hot-work tool steel. Pack cementation and cathodic arc physical vapor deposition (Arc-PVD) techniques were employed to apply adiffused layer and ahard coating, respectively. FE-SEM and XRD were used for coating characterization. Apin-on-disc wear test and Rockwell Cindenter were employed to study wear behavior and adhesion of the coating. To evaluate the corrosion behavior of the specimens, the specimens were tested by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) after immersion in 3.5% sodium chloride solution for 48 hours. The results of potentiodynamic polarization and EIS curves showed that the TiN/CrN nano-layer coating with apre-carburized treatment demonstrated abetter corrosion behavior than H13 and carburized samples. According to the electrochemical test, the current density of the substrate, carburized, and pre-carburized TiN/CrN coated samples were 1.070, 0.875, 0.487 µA/cm2, respectively. This improvement in corrosion resistance is due to the high density of the TiN/CrN nano-layers coating that prevents the diffusion of the corrosion solution into the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilayer CrN/CrAlN coatings were deposited on the 420-SS by the cathodic arc evaporation system with different duty cycles of bias-voltage. The deposited films were characterized by XRD and FESEM techniques. Mechanical, electrochemical, and surface properties of deposited films were studied by nano-indentation, electrochemical, and AFM analysis. Microstructure investigation confirmed the formation of adhesive and dense nanostructure multilayer film. Increasing the duty cycle led to the decrease in the coating grain size and promoted the hardness to 34.1 ± 4 GPa. A clear reduction of size and distribution of macroparticles was observed by using large repulsive force at a high duty cycle. By increasing the duty cycle, the coating deposition rate was increased from 1.23 to 1.38 µm/h and the surface roughness was decreased from 155 to 70 nm. The lower corrosion current density was obtained for the film applied at the 40% duty cycle (0.59 µA cm−2), which was about 10-order of magnitude less than the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is the evaluation of the influence of TiN, CrN and TiN/CrN nanostructured coatings on corrosion resistance of nickel-chromium dental alloy in artificial saliva environment with two pH levels (3.0 and 6.5). Nickel-chromium alloy tested in this study were more resistant to corrosion in artificial saliva conditioning media when coated with different types of coating materials, as compared to uncoated alloy. The electrochemical measurements propose that the alloy with CrN coating has shown a high corrosion resistance in different pH levels. The superior passivation of CrN monolayer coating in modified Fusayama artificial saliva solution may be concluded from two essential factors, passive range, and corrosion current density. The passive range is well-developed, while the corrosion current density is much lower if compared to the other groups. Also, the Nyquist and polarization plots reveal that TiN, CrN and TiN/CrN nanostructured coatings have an excellent corrosion resistance which is considered much higher if compared to the substrate. The values of corrosion current density for CrN nanostructured coating in artificial saliva environment with two pH levels of 3.0 and 6.5 were 1.373 × 10−8 and 5.416 × 10−8 A.cm−2, respectively that were the lowest corrosion current density values among the other samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this investigation, Ti/TiN nanolayer and TiN single layer coatings were coated on substrate of AISI 316L stainless steel by applying physical vapor deposition (PVD) using the type of cathodic arc evaporation (CAE). The evaluation of microstructure were carried out using x-ray diffraction (XRD), nanoindentation, atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Polarization and impedance tests were utilized to study the coatings corrosion behavior in the simulated body solution (SBF) in different immersion times. Utilizing CAE technique, high density and adhesion Ti/TiN nanolayer and TiN single layer coatings were successfully made. The corrosion results showed that Ti/TiN nanolayer coating had an exceptionally high polarization resistance compared to 316L substrate and TiN single layer coating. Furthermore, the corrosion results indicated the desired corrosion behavior in the nanolayer coating towards the single layer within the SBF, as a result of the distinct layers presence resulting in a barrier against penetration of the corrosive media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this study is to compare the electrochemical behavior of CrN/TiN multilayer coating and TiN single-layer coating applied by cathodic arc evaporation (CAE) -physical vapor deposition (PVD) on the substrate of Ti-6Al-4 V in Hank's solution. So, a TiN single-layer coating was formed using PVD method as well as CrN/TiN multilayer coating under totally the same conditions including deposition temperature, working pressure, bias voltage, cathode current and deposition time. To identify the phases in the coatings, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was utilized in order and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used in order to study the microstructure of coating. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were also carried out for corrosion measurements. In the corrosion evaluation, the PDP and EIS tests were performed for the samples after immersion in Hank's solution for 24 hours to reach the steady state. The obtained results from PDP curves showed that the specimen with CrN/TiN multilayer coating exhibited better corrosion behavior than the TiN single-layer coatings. This improvement in corrosion resistance is probably due to the high density of the layers in the CrN/TiN multilayer coating that prevents the penetration of the corrosive solution to the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a zirconium nitride/chromium nitride nano-multilayer coating was deposited on AISI 304 specimen using cathodic arc evaporation-physical vapor deposition (CAE-PVD). The characterization of the samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission-SEM (FE-SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). To evaluate effect of immersion time on the electrochemical behavior of ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coating using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were carried out in 3.5 wt. % NaCl media. Using the CAE-PVD method, nano-multilayer ZrN/CrN coating with high adhesion and density was successfully produced. A unique high polarization resistance of ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coatings in comparison to AISI 304 stainless steel without coating was made. As well as the desirable behavior corrosion results showed that in the ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coating to the AISI 304 substrate within the 3.5 wt. % NaCl, there is a barrier against corrosive agents that is preventing corrosion occurrence. The SEM images disclosed that there were not any pits or severe damages on the surface of the ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coating. The FE-SEM micrographs show that the coating structure contains alternate layers of ZrN and CrN. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and x-ray map were disclosed elements distribution in the cross-section of the nano-multilayer coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, corrosion behavior of single and multilayer (TiN, CrN and TiN/CrN) deposited coatings on Ni-Cr dental alloy in artificial saliva using cathodic arc evaporationphysical vapor deposition (CAE-PVD) technique were investigated. The corrosion behavior of uncoated and coated Ni-Cr prosthetic dental alloy has been investigated electrochemically in addition to the other way represented by the quantity measurement of corrosion products which is resulted from the Ni-Cr dental alloys. Fusayama artificial saliva has been utilized as media for measuring all electrochemical behaviors. The surfaces of samples have been analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that the coating procedure that has applied to Ni-Cr dental alloy may change wettability by decreasing the hydrophilicity of the surface. The results indicated that the strongest hydrophobic character is exhibited by CrN coating. Potentiodynamic polarization and Nyquist plots showed that CrN coating had an exceptionally high polarization resistance compared to Ni-Cr dental alloy, TiN and TiN/CrN coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at studying the electrochemical behavior of annealed pure titanium (Ti) and nano-structured (NS) Ti coating in borate buffer solutions. Cathodic arc evaporation was successfully applied to deposit NS Ti coating. Samples were characterized by means of scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffraction. Potentiodynamic polarization tests, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky analysis were employed to discuss the electrochemical behavior of samples thoroughly. Electrochemical measurements showed that the deposited NS Ti coating offers a superior passivity in borate buffer solutions of pH 9.0 and 9.5. Mott-Schottky analysis revealed that all passive films are of n-type semiconducting nature in these alkaline solutions and the deposition process did not alter the semiconducting type of passive films formed on samples. Additionally, this analysis showed that the NS Ti coating possessed lower levels of donor densities. Finally, all electrochemical tests showed that passive behavior of the NS Ti samples was superior, mainly due to the formation of thicker and less defective passive films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is a qualitative evaluation of the mechanical properties of nanostructured titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) hard coatings applied on cutting tools using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Deposition of nanostructured TiAlN and TiN coatings were carried out by a pulse DC plasma-assisted vapor deposition (DC-PACVD) and a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) machines. At first, for enhancement the adhesion of nanostructured TiAlN coating on the steel substrate, TiN inter-layer was deposited for the all samples. Nano-indentation, micro-hardness tester, and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) were used in order to measured and compare the qualitative results with the real and experimental values. The results indicate that XRD pattern and their analysis can be a suitable qualitative method to evaluate the mechanical properties of the coatings. The lattice parameter, micro-strain, residual stress, texture coefficient, the crystal grain size and density of dislocation are used to demonstrate the relationship between the mechanical properties of the coatings and the XRD patterns. As a result, this method can be used as non-destructive and inexpensive method for quantitative comparison and evaluation of mechanical properties of thin film materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]