Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser deposition

Mechanical deformation and crystallization processes in GaSb thin films were investigated under varying annealing conditions, revealing significant enhancements in mechanical properties. The hardness and indentation modulus increased markedly after annealing, which was attributed to the reduction in...

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Main Authors: Hui Wang, Gert H. ten Brink, Atul, Yutao Pei, Bart J. Kooi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Materials & Design
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026412752500454X
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author Hui Wang
Gert H. ten Brink
Atul
Yutao Pei
Bart J. Kooi
author_facet Hui Wang
Gert H. ten Brink
Atul
Yutao Pei
Bart J. Kooi
author_sort Hui Wang
collection DOAJ
description Mechanical deformation and crystallization processes in GaSb thin films were investigated under varying annealing conditions, revealing significant enhancements in mechanical properties. The hardness and indentation modulus increased markedly after annealing, which was attributed to the reduction in free volume and the onset of crystallization. Additionally, the fracture toughness (KIC) was found to decrease with increasing annealing temperature, highlighting a trade-off between the hardness and toughness. Nanoindentation tests in the annealed films showed crack formation and further revealed the formation of deformation twins and Lomer-Cottrell locks, which enhanced the strength of the film by restricting dislocation mobility. The as-deposited film consisting of an amorphous matrix containing nanocrystals showed remarkable plasticity, with no cracking or delamination but shear bands. These findings deepen the understanding of the mechanical behavior of GaSb thin films and highlight their potential applications in phase-change memory devices, where thermal and mechanical stability are crucial.
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issn 0264-1275
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series Materials & Design
spelling doaj-art-45c8c1f12d704400b981f90dcae1e1762025-08-20T03:46:50ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752025-06-0125411403410.1016/j.matdes.2025.114034Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser depositionHui Wang0Gert H. ten Brink1 Atul2Yutao Pei3Bart J. Kooi4Nanostructured Material and Interfaces, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 43, 9747 AG, the NetherlandsNanostructured Material and Interfaces, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 43, 9747 AG, the NetherlandsNanostructured Material and Interfaces, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 43, 9747 AG, the NetherlandsAdvanced Production Engineering, Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 43, 9747 AG, the NetherlandsNanostructured Material and Interfaces, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 43, 9747 AG, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.Mechanical deformation and crystallization processes in GaSb thin films were investigated under varying annealing conditions, revealing significant enhancements in mechanical properties. The hardness and indentation modulus increased markedly after annealing, which was attributed to the reduction in free volume and the onset of crystallization. Additionally, the fracture toughness (KIC) was found to decrease with increasing annealing temperature, highlighting a trade-off between the hardness and toughness. Nanoindentation tests in the annealed films showed crack formation and further revealed the formation of deformation twins and Lomer-Cottrell locks, which enhanced the strength of the film by restricting dislocation mobility. The as-deposited film consisting of an amorphous matrix containing nanocrystals showed remarkable plasticity, with no cracking or delamination but shear bands. These findings deepen the understanding of the mechanical behavior of GaSb thin films and highlight their potential applications in phase-change memory devices, where thermal and mechanical stability are crucial.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026412752500454XPulsed laser depositionGaSb Thin FilmsMechanical PropertiesFracture toughnessNanoindentation
spellingShingle Hui Wang
Gert H. ten Brink
Atul
Yutao Pei
Bart J. Kooi
Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser deposition
Materials & Design
Pulsed laser deposition
GaSb Thin Films
Mechanical Properties
Fracture toughness
Nanoindentation
title Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser deposition
title_full Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser deposition
title_fullStr Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser deposition
title_full_unstemmed Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser deposition
title_short Effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of GaSb films produced by pulsed laser deposition
title_sort effect of annealing on the mechanical properties of gasb films produced by pulsed laser deposition
topic Pulsed laser deposition
GaSb Thin Films
Mechanical Properties
Fracture toughness
Nanoindentation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026412752500454X
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AT gerthtenbrink effectofannealingonthemechanicalpropertiesofgasbfilmsproducedbypulsedlaserdeposition
AT atul effectofannealingonthemechanicalpropertiesofgasbfilmsproducedbypulsedlaserdeposition
AT yutaopei effectofannealingonthemechanicalpropertiesofgasbfilmsproducedbypulsedlaserdeposition
AT bartjkooi effectofannealingonthemechanicalpropertiesofgasbfilmsproducedbypulsedlaserdeposition