Observation of body centered cubic Cu in Cu/Nb nanolayered composites

The deposition of thin alternating layers of Cu and Nb on Si(100) substrates has been studied by transmission electron microscopy as a function of layer thickness. For layer thickness above 25 Å, there is a strong texture orientation relationship with the close packed planes of fcc Cu parallel to close packed planes of bcc Nb, forming the so-called “Kurdjumov-Sachs” orientation relationship. However, at thicknesses of under 12 Å, the Cu is …