title: Combinatorial investigation of Fe-B thin-film nanocomposites.
abstract: Combinatorial magnetron sputter deposition from elemental targets was used to create Fe-B composition spread type thin film materials libraries on thermally oxidized 4-in. Si wafers. The materials libraries consisting of wedge-type multilayer thin films were annealed at 500 or 700 °C to transform the multilayers into multiphase alloys. The libraries were characterized by nuclear reaction analysis, Rutherford backscattering, nanoindentation, vibrating sample magnetometry, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Young's modulus and hardness values were related to the annealing parameters, structure and composition of the films. The magnetic properties of the films were improved by annealing in a H2atmosphere, showing a more than tenfold decrease in the coercive field values in comparison to those of the vacuum-annealed films. The hardness values increased from 8 to 18 GPa when the annealing temperature was increased from 500 to 700 °C. The appearance of Fe2B phases, as revealed by XRD and TEM, had a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the films.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Hayo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brunken
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grochla
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany; Materials Research Department, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savan
authors.affiliation: RUBION, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kieschnick
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Department, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany; RUBION, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany; Materials Research Department, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ludwig
keywords: Fe–B compounds; combinatorial materials science; magnetic nanocomposites; multifunctional coatings; thin films