High-Throughput Preparation and Characterization of ZrMoTaW Refractory Multi-Principal Element Alloy Film

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgical Engineering
• Thin Film Technology

Background:

• Refractory multi-principal element alloys (RMPEAs) are promising for high-performance applications.
• Tungsten (W)-rich alloys present challenges due to high melting points.
• Developing novel high-throughput methods is crucial for discovering advanced materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply high-throughput screening to discover W-rich RMPEA films.
• To overcome deposition challenges for refractory metals like W.
• To identify alloy compositions with enhanced mechanical properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-throughput screening technology for alloy film deposition.
• Employed a multi-gradient deposition method to manage high melting temperatures.
• Analyzed material library uniformity via phase structure and micromorphology.
• Applied Hume-Rothery theory and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for structural analysis.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized a Zr$_{11}$Mo$_{11}$Ta$_{25}$W$_{53}$ film with optimal hardening.
• Confirmed a stable body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure.
• Achieved hardness of 20 GPa and modulus of elasticity of 300 GPa.
• Demonstrated excellent wear resistance with H/Er and H$^{3}$/Er$^{2}$ values of 0.067 and 0.065.

Conclusions:

• Film uniformity, nanoscale features, preferential orientation, surface roughness, and solid solution strengthening are key to high hardness in W-rich RMPEAs.
• The developed ZrMoTaW film exhibits superior mechanical performance and wear resistance.
• The multi-gradient deposition approach is effective for exploring refractory alloy systems.