Nanoindentation study of Ni45Nb55 amorphous films prepared by ion beam assisted deposition

The mechanical properties of amorphous alloy films are of significance for their application. In the present work, the Ni45Nb55 amorphous films of about 500 nm thick have been prepared by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). The hardness and elastic modulus of the amorphous films were investigated by nanoindentation tests. The experimental results revealed that amorphization of the films induced by IBAD resulted in the decrease of the hardness and elastic modulus. And the hardness and elastic modulus of the amorphous films were approximately 20% lower than those of the crystalline multilayer, respectively, which were interpreted according to the deformation mechanism and the free volume model