Properties of the interfacial transition and their impact on Cu80Ta20/Cu20Ta80 nano-multilayers by nanoimprinting

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to explore nanoimprinting techniques and assess the elastic recovery and mechanical properties of Cu₈₀Ta₂₀/Cu₂₀Ta₈₀. The impact of velocity, depth, and different layers of Amorphous/Amorphous Nanolaminates (AANLs) was thoroughly investigated. Altering the simulation conditions significantly influenced important mechanical aspects, such as shear strain, imprint forces, displacement vector, and elastic recovery ratio, which were extensively studied. The results indicated that as the number of layers in the substrate increases from 2 to 8, the imprinting force also rises. This indicates that a greater number of layers leads to a stronger resistance to deformation during the nanoimprinting process. The atomic distribution within the layers also plays a critical role, influencing the material's plastic deformation behavior and imprinting characteristics. Besides, the substrate with the smallest layer thickness (18.7 Å or 8 layers) demonstrated the highest elastic recovery ratio. Furthermore, the imprinting force exhibits an increase with rising loading velocity, with higher velocities resulting in greater forces compared to lower velocities. Faster velocities reduce elastic recovery and increase resistance to flow, while slower velocities allow for more plastic deformation and better imprinting fidelity. These insights will facilitate the development of amorphous materials that demonstrate both high strength and exceptional ductility.