Synthesis and thermal stability of amorphous Be-B-X alloy coatings

Amorphous Be-B-X alloys are vapor deposited as coatings. The microstructure and hardness of the Be-B-X coatings are examined using transmission electron microscopy and nanoindentation, respectively. Whereas a Be-B-2.5 at.% Cu amorphous coating is found to crystallize to a cubic Be-33 at.% B phase at 673 K, a coating of Be-B-1.8 at.% Fe-0.4 at.% Cr-0.3 at.% Co does not crystallize until at a higher temperature of 748 K. The hardness of the amorphous Be-B-X coating increases with B content but is less than its crystalline counterparts.