The Influence of Mechanical Treatment on the Surface Relief of a Fe{sub 77}Ni{sub 1}Si{sub 9}B{sub 13} Metal Glass

The micro- and nanoreliefs of the loaded surfaces of a Fe{sub 77}Ni{sub 1}Si{sub 9}B{sub 13} metal glass are probed via scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopies, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence. The fractal characteristics of surfaces are evaluated via the multifractal approach. As found, the variations in a singularity spectrum width, calculated from the tunneling and atomic force microscopies, may be useful for predicting the forthcoming fracture. An increase in the breaking strength of ribbons subjected to hydrostatic compression is due to decreasing microporosity of a near-surface layer, which corresponds to the surface smoothing.