Enhancing the Resistance to Shear Instability in Cu/Zr Nanolaminates Through Amorphous Interfacial Layer

Metallic nanolaminates generally show ultra-high strength but low ductility due to their vulnerability to shear instability during deformation. Herein, we report the simultaneous enhancement in hardness (by 11.9%) and suppression of shear instability in a 10 nm Cu/Zr nanolaminate, achieved by introducing a nanoscale Cu₆₃Zr₃₇ amorphous interfacial layer (AIL) between the crystalline Cu and Zr layers via magnetron sputtering. The effect of AIL and its thickness (<i>h</i>) (<i>h</i> = 2, 5, and 10 nm) on the hardness and shear instability behavior was explored using nano- and micro-indentation tests. An abnormal increase in hardness occurs at <i>h</i> = 2 nm when <i>h</i> is decreased from 10 to 2 nm, deviating from the prediction of the rule of mixtures. This abnormal strengthening is attributed to thinner AIL, which induces an increased density of crystalline/amorphous interfaces, thereby generating a pronounced interface strengthening effect. The micro-indentation results show that shear banding was suppressed in the nanolaminate with AIL, as evidenced by fewer shear bands as compared to its homogeneous counterpart. This enhanced resistance to shear instability may originate from the crystalline/amorphous interface that provides more sites for dislocation nucleation, emission, and annihilation. Furthermore, two distinct shear banding modes were observed in the nanolaminate with AIL; i.e., a cutting-like shear banding emerged at <i>h</i> = 10 nm, whereas a kinking-like shear banding occurred at <i>h</i> = 2 nm. The potential mechanism of the AIL-thickness-dependent shear banding was analyzed based on the crack propagation model of the Griffith criterion. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the strengthening and tunable shear instability of super-nano metallic laminates by AIL.