Size effects on the Mechanical Behavior of Nanometric W/Cu Multilayers

Abstract

AbstractThe mechanical behavior of nanostructured stratified W/Cu composites prepared by ion beam sputtering has been investigated using a method combining X-ray diffraction and tensile testing. Tests were performed on a synchrotron light source to analyze the elastic response of the tungsten phase. Three different microstructures have been analyzed: the specimen composed of the thinner tungsten layers reveals an elastic behavior different from the one expected assuming bulk elastic constants. However, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS) measurements reveal discontinuities in the copper layers. As the strain in the related copper clusters as well grains boundary contributions are not experimentally accessible, atomistic calculation are of utmost importance. Polycrystalline materials have already been constructed through the Voronoï method and thanks to TEM observations. Atomistic simulation and calculation are underway to validation.