Elastic properties of nanolaminar Cr2AlC films and beams determined by in-situ scanning electron microscope bending tests

Publication date: 1 April 2016
Source:Thin Solid Films, Volume 604
Author(s): Rolf Grieseler, Felix Theska, Thomas Stürzel, Bernd Hähnlein, Mike Stubenrauch, Marcus Hopfeld, Thomas Kups, Jörg Pezoldt, Peter Schaaf
The mechanical properties of Cr2AlC MAX phase structures were investigated by in-situ bending tests. Freestanding structures such as cantilevers and doubly clamped beams of Cr2AlC were produced. The structures exhibit a Young's modulus of 184GPa which is close to the value obtained by vibrational measurements. The in-situ bending test allows the determination of the mechanical properties with a lower variance of the measurement results compared to the vibrational measurement. The results are a good starting point for the development of microelectromechanical structures based on MAX phases.