The role of heat treatment on the structural and nano-mechanical properties of SmCo5 thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering technique

Kuru M., Ozmetin A., Ozmetin A., Sahin O.

Ceramics International, vol.43, no.4, pp.3893-3899, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 43 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.12.059
  • Journal Name: Ceramics International
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.3893-3899
  • Keywords: AFM, Nanoindentation, SEM, SmCo5 thin films, XRD
  • Ondokuz Mayıs University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this study, the influence of annealing temperature on structural, morphological, and nano-mechanical properties of SmCo5 thin films, which was produced by RF magnetron sputtering technique, was investigated. A set of 1 µm thick SmCo5 thin films were grown on a Si (100) substrate at room temperature, and subsequently annealed at 400℃, 500℃, 600℃, and 700℃ in an argon atmosphere. These films have a hexagonal CaCu5 structure with (110) preferential orientation corresponding to SmCo5 films observed. The Structural morphological and nano-mechanical properties of SmCo5 thin films were examined using the Grazing Incident X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Nano indentation techniques. Results showed that the as-deposited SmCo5 thin films had a polycrystalline structure. Following the heat treatment, both crystallite and grain size increased and thin film crystallinity improved. In addition, nano-hardness and reduced elastic modulus of the SmCo5 thin films were measured with a Berkovich tip. Nano hardness and reduced elastic modulus values decrease with the increasing annealing temperature.