Structure of niobium-tungsten alloy films produced by metal sputtering

The solid-solution alloy coatings are obtained via ion-plasma sputtering and the codeposition of ultradispersed Nb and W particles in the entire concentration range of a double system. Samples with 15.8–90.6 at % W are prepared. The sputtered metal particles have sizes ranging between 0.1 and 0.9 nm. The solid-solution alloy structures are based on niobium and tungsten if the tungsten concentration of the coating is, respectively, less and more than 40 at %. At certain ratios between the sizes of ultradispersed W particles and a certain sputterer power, a photoinduced increase in the mobility of particles is observed. As a result, a pure tungsten phase segregates from the tungsten solid solution in niobium and its particles coagulate in the nanocluster superlattice. It is established that superstructure formation depends mainly on the size factor. On account of growth in the thickness of the niobium and tungsten sublayers, metallic phases and solid solutions appear in the coatings and the nanocluster superlattices of one metal are formed in the matrix of another. © 2014, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.