Effect of Nano-Y(2)O(3) Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Fe18Cr Films Fabricated by RF Magnetron Sputtering

In this work, FeCr-based films with different Y(2)O(3) contents were fabricated using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The effects of Y(2)O(3) content on their microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP) and a nanoindenter. It was found that the Y(2)O(3)-doped FeCr films exhibited a nanocomposite structure with nanosized Y(2)O(3) particles uniformly distributed into a FeCr matrix. With the increase of Y(2)O(3) content from 0 to 1.97 wt.%, the average grain size of the FeCr films decreased from 12.65 nm to 7.34 nm, demonstrating a grain refining effect of Y(2)O(3). Furthermore, the hardness of the Y(2)O(3)-doped FeCr films showed an increasing trend with Y(2)O(3) concentration, owing to the synergetic effect of dispersion strengthening and grain refinement strengthening. This work provides a beneficial guidance on the development and research of composite materials of nanocrystalline metal with a rare earth oxide dispersion phase.