MD simulation of nanoindentation on (001) and (111) surfaces of Ag-Ni multilayers

Abstract We perform MD simulations of the nanoindentation on (001) and (111) surfaces of Ag-Ni multilayers with different modulation periods, and find that both the hardness and maximum force increase with the increase of modulation period, in agreement with the inverse Hall-Petch relation. A prismatic partial dislocation loop is observed in the Ni(111)/Ag(111) sample when the modulation period is relatively large. We also find that misfit dislocation network shows a square shape for the Ni(111)/Ag(111) interface, while a triangle shape for the Ni(001)/Ag(001) interface. The pyramidal defect zones are also observed in Ni(001)/Ag(001) sample, while the intersecting stacking faults are observed in Ni(111)/Ag(111) sample after dislocation traversing interface. The results offer insights into the nanoindentation behaviors in metallic multilayers, which should be important for clarifying strengthening mechanism in many other multilayers.