Al0.5CoCrCuFeNiMo0.25 films of high-entropy alloys synthesized by DC magnetron sputtering

Abstract

In the past 17 years, as a branch of high entropy alloy (HEA) materials, HEA films have exhibited interesting properties, regarding to the conventional film materials. High entropy alloys (HEA) are composed of at least five principal elements in equimolar or near-equimolar ratios. These materials typically crystallize in simple solid solution like face-centered cubic (FCC), body-centered cubic (BCC) solid solution or a combination of these two crystal structures. Sputter deposition is a fast, flexible and most common method to form HEA films. Because, the HEA film stoichiometry can be simply controlled by changing the chemical composition of a given target and processing parameters during sputtering process. The aim of this thesis work is to deposit Al0.5CoCrCuFeNiMo0.25 film by magnetron sputtering from it’s bulk HEA target. In which four samples were prepared with different deposition parameters to study their morphology, microstructures and properties with Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), contact profilometer and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Various surface morphologies have been recorded by scanning electron microscopy and correlated to the crystalline phases of sputtered film. Morphologies have been found to depend on power supply, deposition time and argon pressure during deposition runs. X-ray diffraction analysis experiment confirmed single FCC solid solution phase, having (111) as preferred orientation in all synthesized thin films textures, which can be promising for applications in micro fabrication and advanced thin film technologies.