This presentation will explore the effects of microstructure and Ru solute content in Pt thin films. The relative strengthening effects of grain size, film thickness and solute fraction were evaluated using a combination of techniques including substrate curvature and nanoindentation. Comparison between experimental results and simple models show that solid solution strengthening can have a large effect on the mechanical behavior of thin Pt films. Closer examination of nanoindentation data for pure Pt also clearly shows the influence of grain boundaries on loading curve behavior. The results of these studies should also be relevant for other FCC materials such as Cu and Al.
Keywords: thin film, mechanical behavior, nanoindentation, solid solution strengthening