Tensile behavior of amorphous/nanocrystalline ZrCu/Cu multilayered films with graded interfaces

The microstructure and tensile response of amorphous ZrCu and nanocrystalline Cu multilayered thin films, with sharp or graded interfaces, are examined and analyzed. The extracted tensile properties of the multilayered films can be compared with the predicted values based on the iso-strain Rule of Mixture model. The multilayered films with graded interfaces, each about 50 nm thick, consistently exhibit higher tensile strength and elongation. This can be rationalized by the reduced stress and strain incompatibility along the interfaces.