Influence of layer thickness on mechanical properties of multilayered NiFe samples processed by electrodeposition

Multilayered (ML) NiFe thick foils have been studied in order to provide insight in synthesizing structure-modulated sheets with superior mechanical properties. The specific electrodeposition parameters were selected to produce ML samples with modulated grain size distribution and layer thicknesses varied from 30 nm up to 5 mu m. The influence of layer thickness on mechanical behavior was characterized by coupling nanoindentation tests and SEM/EDS study. Hardness results show that with decreasing layer thickness the strength of ML samples reaches a maximum value and remains relatively constant when layer thickness is less than 100 nm. The measured properties are discussed in the context of layer configuration, overall dimensions, and change in phase and chemical composition. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.