Abstract
Magnetron-sputtered metal/light material multilayers with bilayer thicknesses between 2.85 and 3.4 nm are investigated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The multilayers consist of amorphous or crystalline layers of Ni or Cr, and amorphous layers of C, B4C or BN. Thermodynamic, kinetic and thermochemical considerations are used to explain the different observed microstructures of the respective multilayer systems.