Metallic Glass Nano-composite Thin Films for High-performance Functional Applications

Metallic glass nanocomposite thin films were synthesized for an immiscible Ag-Cu alloy system by magnetron sputtering. The structure of the films was unique, consisting of homogeneously dispersed nanocrystallites in an amorphous matrix. The size and volume fraction of the nanocrystallites increased with increasing film thickness resulting in increased elastic modulus and hardness. The high electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite films was examined by a valence-band study, which showed that exchange interaction between Ag and Cu in the nanocomposite structure resulted in enhanced charge carrier concentration. The inverse correlation between electrical conductivity and film thickness was explained by surface and interface scattering of electrons with increasing volume fraction of nanocrystallites. The small temperature dependence of conductivity was attributed to the distorted Fermi surface of the nanocomposite films resulting in a greater contribution from structure scattering, which is temperature-independent.