Processing of ultra-hard coatings based on AlMgB14 films

First time AlMgB14 films were prepared in Ames Lab by pulsed laser deposition technique. In this work, RF magnetron sputtering from a single stoichiometric target was employed to fabricate hard AlMgB14 coatings on Si wafer and industrial items. Measurements of nanohardness and elastic Young's modulus were performed to determine reliable strength characteristics of samples. Smooth 3 mu m thick AlMgB14 films with the RMS surface roughness to be less than 1 nm exhibit hardness of 34 GPa and modulus of elasticity of 230 GPa at 20 mN peak load.