Structure formation and properties of sputter deposited Nbx-CoCrCuFeNi high entropy alloy thin films

Thin films of the high entropy alloy Nb-x-CoCrCuFeNi with different niobium concentrations were deposited by magnetron sputtering. The film density and the residual stress of the niobium-free (x = 0) thin films clearly decreases at higher pressure-distance products. This behaviour can only be explained by the momentum transfer of the sputtered atoms and the reflected Ar atoms on the growing film as the energy per arriving atom shows little variation. The addition of Nb, which is the heaviest atom of the alloy, amplifies this effect. Hence, thin films with a high Nb content still show a high density at large pressure-distance products. However, as Nb has the largest radius of all constituent elements, the crystallographic structure of the thin films changes from a crystalline face-centred cubic structure at x = 0 to an amorphous (or nanocrystalline) structure for higher Nb fractions. Both trends, i.e. the changing deposition conditions and the niobium content, can be outlined by a study of the thin film microstrain. The trends observed in the intrinsic properties are correlated to a preliminary study of some functional properties (friction coefficient, thermal stability and contact resistance). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.