A correlative experimental and ab initio approach to improve the fracture behavior of Mo thin films by alloying with Cu

The effect of Cu alloying on the deformation behavior of Mo thin films is investigated as a feasible concept to overcome their poor ductility, which severely limits performance in flexible electronics. 50 nm thick Mo1-xCux films (with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.51) were sputter-deposited on polyimide substrates and subjected to uniaxial tensile loading while measuring their electrical resistance in situ. A significant ductility enhancement is experimentally observed with increasing Cu content. This can be rationalized by considering the associated changes in bond character as the Cu additions weaken the covalent and hence shear resistant contribution to the overall bond character.