In situ stress measurements during electrodeposition of Ag-Sb and Pt-Co alloy multilayers

Internal stresses in multilayer coatings from Ag-Sb and Pt-Co alloys with d ifferent alloying element contents in the individual sublayers are measured during the process of deposition. The results are compared with the stress es in thick alloy coatings of a content corresponding to the content of the individual sublayers in the multilayer system. Stresses in the first subla yers of a multilayer Ag-Sb coating correspond to those in a one-layer thick coating. Stresses in the subsequent sublayers are changed under the influe nce of previous sublayers. Changes in the internal stresses are related to the change in the element and phase content of the coatings. Strong relaxat ion effects are detected in multilayer alloy Pt-Co coatings, caused by the desorption of the codeposited hydrogen and the layer cracking.