| 1. |
- Bakhit, Babak, 1983-, et al.
(author)
-
Age hardening in superhard ZrB2-rich Zr1-xTaxBy thin films
- 2021
-
In: Scripta Materialia. - : Elsevier. - 1359-6462 .- 1872-8456. ; 191, s. 120-125
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We recently showed that sputter-deposited Zr1-xTaxBy thin films have hexagonal AlB2-type columnar nanostructure in which column boundaries are B-rich for x < 0.2, while Ta-rich for x ≥ 0.2. As-deposited layers with x ≥ 0.2 exhibit higher hardness and, simultaneously, enhanced toughness. Here, we study the mechanical properties of ZrB2.4, Zr0.8Ta0.2B1.8, and Zr0.7Ta0.3B1.5 films annealed in Ar atmosphere as a function of annealing temperature Ta up to 1200 °C. In-situ and ex-situ nanoindentation analyses reveal that all films undergo age hardening up to Ta = 800 °C, with the highest hardness achieved for Zr0.8Ta0.2B1.8 (45.5±1.0 GPa). The age hardening, which occurs without any phase separation or decomposition, can be explained by point-defect recovery that enhances chemical bond density. Although hardness decreases at Ta > 800 °C due mainly to recrystallization, column coarsening, and planar defect annihilation, all layers show hardness values above 34 GPa over the entire Ta range.
|
|
| 2. |
- Bakhit, Babak, 1983-, et al.
(author)
-
Self-organized columnar Zr0.7Ta0.3B1.5 core/shell-nanostructure thin films
- 2020
-
In: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 401
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We recently showed that Zr1−xTaxBy thin films have columnar nanostructure in which column boundaries are B-rich for x < 0.2, while Ta-rich for x ≥ 0.2. Layers with x ≥ 0.2 exhibit higher hardness and, simultaneously, enhanced toughness. Here, we determine the atomic-scale nanostructure of sputter-deposited columnar Zr0.7Ta0.3B1.5 thin films. The columns, 95 ± 17 Å, are core/shell nanostructures in which 80 ± 15-Å cores are crystalline hexagonal-AlB2-structure Zr-rich stoichiometric Zr1−xTaxB2. The shell structure is a narrow dense, disordered region that is Ta-rich and highly B-deficient. The cores are formed under intense ion mixing via preferential Ta segregation, due to the lower formation enthalpy of TaB2 than ZrB2, in response to the chemical driving force to form a stoichiometric compound. The films with unique combination of nanosized crystalline cores and dense metallic-glass-like shells provide excellent mechanical properties.
|
|
| 3. |
- Dorri, Samira, 1988-, et al.
(author)
-
Oxidation kinetics of overstoichiometric TiB2 thin films grown by DC magnetron sputtering
- 2022
-
In: Corrosion Science. - : Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. - 0010-938X .- 1879-0496. ; 206
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We systematically study the oxidation properties of sputter-deposited TiB2.5 coatings up to 700 °C. Oxide-scale thickness dox increases linearly with time ta for 300, 400, 500, and 700 °C, while an oxidation-protective behavior occurs with dox=250∙ta0.2 at 600 °C. Oxide-layer’s structure changes from amorphous to rutile/anatase-TiO2 at temperatures ≥ 500 °C. Abnormally low oxidation rate at 600 °C is attributed to a highly dense columnar TiO2-sublayer growing near oxide/film interface with a top-amorphous thin layer, suppressing oxygen diffusion. A model is proposed to explain the oxide-scale evolution at 600 °C. Decreasing heating rate to 1.0 °C/min plays a noticeable role in the TiB2.5 oxidation.
|
|
| 4. |
- Pshyk, Oleksandr V., 1990-, et al.
(author)
-
Discovery of Guinier-Preston zone hardening in refractory nitride ceramics
- 2023
-
In: Acta Materialia. - : Elsevier. - 1359-6454 .- 1873-2453. ; 255
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Traditional age hardening mechanisms in refractory ceramics consist of precipitation of fine particles. These processes are vital for widespread wear-resistant coating applications. Here, we report novel Guinier-Preston zone hardening, previously only known to operate in soft light-metal alloys, taking place in refractory ceramics like multicomponent nitrides. The added superhardening, discovered in thin films of Ti-Al-W-N upon high temperature annealing, comes from the formation of atomic-plane-thick W disks populating {111} planes of the cubic matrix, as observed by atomically resolved high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and corroborated by ab initio calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. Guinier-Preston zone hardening concurrent with spinodal decomposition is projected to exist in a range of other ceramic solid solutions and thus provides a new approach for the development of advanced materials with outstanding mechanical properties and higher operational temperature range for the future demanding applications.
|
|
| 5. |
- Serban, Alexandra, 1988-, et al.
(author)
-
Magnetron Sputter Epitaxy of High-Quality GaN Nanorods on Functional and Cost-Effective Templates/Substrates
- 2017
-
In: Energies. - Basel, Switzerland : MDPI AG. - 1996-1073. ; 10:9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We demonstrate the versatility of magnetron sputter epitaxy by achieving high-quality GaN nanorods on different substrate/template combinations, specifically Si, SiC, TiN/Si, ZrB2/Si, ZrB2/SiC, Mo, and Ti. Growth temperature was optimized on Si, TiN/Si, and ZrB2/Si, resulting in increased nanorod aspect ratio with temperature. All nanorods exhibit high purity and quality, proved by the strong bandedge emission recorded with cathodoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature as well as transmission electron microscopy. These substrates/templates are affordable compared to many conventional substrates, and the direct deposition onto them eliminates cumbersome post-processing steps in device fabrication. Thus, magnetron sputter epitaxy offers an attractive alternative for simple and affordable fabrication in optoelectronic device technology.
|
|
| 6. |
- Serban, Elena Alexandra, 1988-, et al.
(author)
-
Site-controlled growth of GaN nanorod arrays by magnetron sputter epitaxy
- 2018
-
In: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 660, s. 950-955
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Catalyst-free GaN nanorod regular arrays have been realized by reactive magnetron sputter epitaxy. Two nanolithographic methods, nanosphere lithography (NSL) and focused ion beam lithography (FIBL), were applied to pattern Si substrates with TiNx masks. The growth temperature was optimized for achieving selectivity and well-faceted nanorods grown onto the NSL-patterned substrates. With increasing temperature from 875 to 985 °C, we observe different growth behaviors and associate them with selective insensitive, diffusion-dominated, and desorption-dominated zones. To further achieve site-specific and diameter control, these growth parameters were transferred onto FIBL-patterned substrates. Further investigation into the FIBL process through tailoring of milling current and time in combination with varying nanorod growth temperature, suggests that minimization of mask and substrate damage is the key to attain uniform, well-defined, single, and straight nanorods. Destruction of the mask results in selective area growth failure, while damage of the substrate surface promotes inclined nanorods grown into the openings, owning to random oriented nucleation.
|
|
| 7. |
- Thörnberg, Jimmy, et al.
(author)
-
Microstructure and materials properties of understoichiometric TiBx thin films grown by HiPIMS
- 2020
-
In: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 404
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- TiBx thin films with a B content of 1.43 <= x <= 2.70 were synthesized using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct-current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). HiPIMS allows compositions ranging from understoichiometric to overstoichiometric dense TiBx thin films with a B/Ti ratio between 1.43 and 2.06, while DCMS yields overstoichiometric TiBx films with a B/Ti ratio ranging from 2.20 to 2.70. Excess B in overstoichiometric TiBx thin films from DCMS results in a hardness up to 37.7 +/- 0.8 GPa, attributed to the formation of an amorphous B-rich tissue phase interlacing stoichiometric TiB2 columnar structures. We furthermore show that understoichiometric TiB1.43 thin films synthesized by HiPIMS, where the deficiency of B is found to be accommodated by Ti-rich planar defects, exhibit a superior hardness of 43.9 +/- 0.9 GPa. The apparent fracture toughness and thermal conductivity of understoichiometric TiB1.43 HiPIMS films are 4.2 +/- 0.1 MPa root m and 2.46 +/- 0.22 W/(m.K), respectively, as compared to corresponding values for overstoichiometric TiB2.70 DCMS film samples of 3.1 +/- 0.1 MPa root m and 4.52 +/- 0.45 W/(mK). This work increases the fundamental understanding of understoichiometric TiBx thin films and their materials properties, and shows that understoichiometric films have properties matching or going beyond those with excess B.
|
|
