Size Dependent Mechanics of Thin ZrNi Metallic Glass Films

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are currently among the most actively studied materials due to their outstanding mechanical and physico- chemical properties. Intense research is dealing with BMGs mechanical properties owing to their high yield strength and large elastic strain. Nevertheless, the shear band dominated mode of plastic deformation of BMGs leads to a macroscopic brittle behaviour. Thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs) are object of intense research investigating size-effects for which a brittle-to-ductile transition is expected below a certain thickness threshold (~ 500 nm). Our approach: 1) Deposition of ZrNi TFMGs using a composite DC-magnetron sputtering target 2) Investigation of mechanical properties for different thicknesses (100 up to 900 nm)