| 1. |
- Ding, Haoming, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis of MAX phases Nb2CuC and Ti2(Al0.1Cu0.9)N by A-site replacement reaction in molten salts
- 2019
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Ingår i: Materials Research Letters. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2166-3831. ; 7:12, s. 510-516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- New MAX phases Ti2(AlxCu1−x)N and Nb2CuC were synthesized by A-site replacement by reacting Ti2AlN and Nb2AlC, respectively, with CuCl2 or CuI molten salt. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomically resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy showed complete A-site replacement in Nb2AlC, which lead to the formation of Nb2CuC. However, the replacement of Al in Ti2AlN phase was only close to complete at Ti2(Al0.1Cu0.9)N. Density-functional theory calculations corroborated the structural stability of Nb2CuC and Ti2CuN phases. Moreover, the calculated cleavage energy in these Cu-containing MAX phases are weaker than in their Al-containing counterparts.The preparation of MAX phases Nb2CuC and Ti2(Al0.1Cu0.9)N were realized by A-site replacement in Ti2AlN and Nb2AlN, respectively.
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| 2. |
- Magnusson, Roger, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Preparation and tunable optical properties of amorphous AlSiO thin films
- 2021
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Ingår i: Vacuum. - : Elsevier. - 0042-207X .- 1879-2715. ; 187
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thin films in the aluminosilicate (AlSiO) system containing up to 31 at. % Al and 23 at. % Si were prepared by reactive RF magnetron co-sputtering in order to investigate the dependence of film formation and optical properties on substrate temperature and Si and Al contents. The obtained films were amorphous with smooth microstructure. The growth rate at different substrate temperatures ranged from 1.2 to 3.3 nm/min and increase with increasing the Si target power. The roughness decreases and thickness increases with increasing Si content. The thickness of the films grown at a deposition temperature of 100 °C is found to be higher than the films deposited at 300 and 500 °C. The AlSiO-coated glasses have a higher transmission in the visible region than the uncoated glass. The spectroscopic ellipsometry analysis reveals that the refractive index value decreased with decreasing the Al content, having extinction coefficient values of zero in the measured spectral region and band gap values ≥ 3.4 eV. The obtained thin films have over 90% transmittance in the visible range and no systematic variation of transmittance was observed with substrate temperature. The results suggest that glass substrate coated with AlSiO thin films have improved optical properties.
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| 3. |
- Pilemalm, Robert, 1983-
(författare)
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Theoretical and experimental studies of ternary and quaternary nitrides for machining and thermoelectric materials
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nitrides are used as coatings and thin films for a wide range of applications. The study and use of nitrides in the recent decades have shifted towards ternary, quaternary or even higher order (complex) nitrides. There is an interest to use ternary and quaternary nitrides for machining and thermoelectric materials, because it gives the possibility to choose composition and thereby design the materials properties. This thesis presents research results on TiAlN and and TiAlN-based coatings that are used as hard coatings for machining and on ternary scandium nitrides that are of interest for thin films for thermoelectric applications. The high-pressure high-temperature behavior of cubic TiAlN deposited on cubic boron nitride has been experimentally studied. It has been shown that the spinodal decomposition, which means decomposition into cubic domains enriched in TiN and AlN, is delayed as a result of high pressure compared to ambient pressure. No chemical interaction between coating and substrate occurs. TiZrAlN has been theoretically and experimentally studied at high temperature. The results show that the when Zr-content is decreased and the Al-content is increased the decomposition route changes from nucleation and growth to spinodal decomposition. The microstructure evolution with temperature depends on the initial composition. In the case where the decompositon starts with only spinodal decomposition the microstructure at 1100 °C consists of domains that are larger than in the case where the decomposition occurs by nucleation and growth. ScMN2 (M=V, Nb, Ta) phases have been experimentally demonstrated for M=Nb and Ta in a few studies, but have not been much investigated. In this theseis, their crystal structure, stability, elastic properties, electronic structure and thermoelectric properties have been studied. At 0 K and 0 GPa it has been shown that these three phases are thermodynamically and elastically stable. Additionally, these are narrow-bandgap semiconductors and their thermoelectric properties can be tuned by doping. Pressure has a stabilizing effect on these structures. When pressure increases from 0-150 GPa the elastic constants and moduli increases in the range 53-317 %.
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| 4. |
- Edström, Daniel, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Mechanical properties of VMoNO as a function of oxygen concentration : Toward development of hard and tough refractory oxynitrides
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 37:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Improved toughness is a central goal in the development of wear-resistant refractory ceramic coatings. Extensive theoretical and experimental research has revealed that NaCl-structure VMoN alloys exhibit surprisingly high ductility combined with high hardness and toughness. However, during operation, protective coatings inevitably oxidize, a problem that may compromise material properties and performance. Here, the authors explore the role of oxidation in altering VMoN properties. Density functional theory and theoretical intrinsic hardness models are used to investigate the mechanical behavior of cubic V0.5Mo0.5N1-xOx solid solutions as a function of the oxygen concentration x. Elastic constant and intrinsic hardness calculations show that oxidation does not degrade the mechanical properties of V0.5Mo0.5N. Electronic structure analyses indicate that the presence of oxygen reduces the covalent bond character, which slightly lowers the alloy strength and intrinsic hardness. Nevertheless, the character of metallic d-d states, which are crucial for allowing plastic deformation and enhancing toughness, remains unaffected. Overall, the authors' results suggest that VMoNO oxynitrides, with oxygen concentrations as high as 50%, possess high intrinsic hardness, while still being ductile. Published by the AVS.
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| 5. |
- Gangaprasad Rao, Smita, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Phase formation and structural evolution of multicomponent (CrFeCo)Ny films
- 2021
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Ingår i: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 412
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Cantor alloy (CoCrFeMnNi) and its variants, in bulk as well as thin films, have been extensively studied. They are known to exhibit cubic crystal structures and thermodynamic stability regardless of their complex chemical composition. Therefore, they may find use as hard, wear-resistant, corrosion and oxidation-resistant coatings. The addition of light elements, such as nitrogen, is known to help improve these properties further through processes such as amorphization and nitride compound formation. Here, we investigate the ternary CrFeCo system to study the effects of nitrogen addition. (CrFeCo)Ny multicomponent thin films are grown on silicon substrates by DC magnetron sputtering. Changes in crystal structure, morphology, mechanical and electrical properties with gradual increases of nitrogen in the film are described and discussed. Increased addition of nitrogen from 14 at.% to 28 at.% in the film leads to a transformation from an fcc to a bcc crystal structure, affects both the mechanical and electrical properties. XPS analysis shows the tendency of nitrogen to bond with Cr over other metals. The films display hardness values between 7 and 11 GPa with resistivities values ranging between 28 and 165 μΩ cm.
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| 6. |
- Gharavi, Mohammad Amin, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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High thermoelectric power factor of pure and vanadium-alloyed chromium nitride thin films
- 2021
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Ingår i: Materials Today Communications. - : ELSEVIER. - 2352-4928. ; 28
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chromium-nitride based materials have shown unexpected promise as thermo-electric materials for, e.g., wasteheat harvesting. Here, CrN and (Cr,V)N thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. Thermoelectric measurements of pure CrN thin films show a low electrical resistivity between 1.2 and 1.5 x 10(-3) Omega cm and very high values of the Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric power factor, in the range between 370-430 mu V/K and 9-11 x 10(-3) W/mK(2), respectively. Alloying of CrN films with small amounts (less than 15 %) of vanadium results in cubic (Cr,V)N thin films. Vanadium decreases the electrical resistivity and yields powerfactor values in the same range as pure CrN. Density functional theory calculations of sub-stoichiometric CrN1-delta and (Cr,V)N1-delta show that nitrogen vacancies and vanadium substitution both cause n-type conductivity and features in the band structure typically correlated with a high Seebeck coefficient. The results suggest that slight variations in nitrogen and vanadium content affect the power factor and offers a means of tailoring the power factor and thermoelectric figure of merit.
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| 7. |
- Gharavi, Mohammad Amin, 1985-
(författare)
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Theoretical and Experimental Studies on Early Transition Metal Nitrides for Thermoelectrics
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Thermoelectricity transforms temperature gradients across thermoelectric material into an external voltage through a phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect. This property has resulted in niche applications such as solid-state cooling for electronic and optoelectronic devices which exclude the need for a coolant or any moving parts and long-lasting, maintenance-free radioisotope thermoelectric generators used for deep-space exploration. However, the high price and low efficiency of thermoelectric generators have prompted scientists to search for new materials and/or methods to improve the efficiency of the already existing ones. Thermoelectric efficiency is governed by the dimensionless figure of merit ??, which depends on the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient value of the material and has rarely surpassed unity.In order to address these issues, research conducted on early transition metal nitrides spearheaded by cubic scandium nitride (ScN) thin films showed promising results with high power factors close to 3000 μWm−1K−2 at 500 °C. These results are the main motivation behind my thesis where the conducted research is separated into two different routes:• the synthesis and characterization of chromium nitride thin films and its alloys• the study of hypothetical ternary nitrides equivalent to scandium nitrideRock-salt cubic chromium nitride (CrN) deposited in the form of thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering was chosen for its large Seebeck coefficient of approximately -200 μV/K and low thermal conductivity between 2 and 4 Wm−1K−1. The results show that CrN in single crystal form has a low electrical resistivity below 1 mΩcm, a Seebeck coefficient value of -230 μV/K and a power factor close to 5000 μWm−1K−2 at room temperature. These promising results could lead to CrN based thermoelectric modules which are cheaper and more stable compared to traditional thermoelectric material such as bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) and lead telluride (PbTe).Although cubic CrN has been shown to be a promising material for research with a large power factor, the electrical resistivity limits applications in pure form as the ?? is estimated to be slightly below 0.5. To overcome this issue, I enhanced the thermoelectric power-factor of CrN by alloying it with a conductor, Rock-salt cubic vanadium nitride (VN). VN is a suitable choice as both materials share the same crystal structure and have almost equal lattice constants. Through deposition at 720 °C, where a small amount of VN (less than 5%) and Cr2N is introduced into the film, a reduced electrical resistivity averaged around 0.8 × 10-3 Ωcm, Seebeck coefficient value of 270 μV/K and a power-factor of 9.1 × 10-3 W/mK2 is measured at room temperature, which surpasses the thermoelectric properties of Bi2Te3. Hexagonal dichromium nitride (Cr2N) nano-inclusions increase the charge carrier concentration and act as phonon scattering sites. Single crystal Cr2N was also studied separately, as it shows interesting elastic-plastic mechanical properties and high resistance to oxidation at high temperatures for long periods of time.In the second part of this thesis, hypothetical ternary nitrides equivalent to ScN are investigated for their prospective thermoelectric properties. Scandium nitride has a relatively high thermal conductivity value (close to 10 Wm−1K−1), resulting in a low ??. A hypothetical ternary equivalent to ScN may have a similar electronic band structure and large power factor, but with a lower thermal conductivity value leading to better thermoelectric properties. Thus, the elements magnesium, titanium, zirconium, and hafnium were chosen for this purpose. DFT calculations were used to simulate TiMgN2, ZrMgN2 and HfMgN2. The results show the MeMgN2 stoichiometry to be stable, with two rivaling crystal structures: trigonal NaCrS2 and monoclinic LiUN2. The calculated electronic band structure of these compounds shows a direct band-gap for the monoclinic and an indirect band-gap for the trigonal crystal structures. These findings, coupled with predicted Seebeck coefficient values, encourages actual synthesis of such materials. DFT calculations were also used to study (Zr, Mg)N and (Hf, Mg)N alloys based on the SQS model. The transition temperature between the ordered monoclinic structure of ZrMgN2 and HfMgN2 and the disordered (Zr, Mg)N and (Hf, Mg)N alloys is calculated to be approximately 800 K and 1050 K respectively. Density of State (DoS) calculations show that similar to (Ti, Mg)N, (Zr, Mg)N and (Hf, Mg)N are also semiconducting. The thermoelectric properties of both compounds are also predicted, and that in the range of a moderate change in the Fermi level, high Seebeck coefficient values at room temperature can be achieved.Finally, in order to complete the mentioned study on hypothetical ternaries, I deposited (Ti, Mg)N thin film alloys by reactive magnetron sputtering. These films, which were deposited at 400 °C, are porous and are crystallized in the rocksalt cubic structure. As-deposited films show an electrical resistivity of 150 mΩcm and a Seebeck coefficient of -25 μV/K, which shows semiconducting properties. In order to initiate a phase transformation, these films when annealed at approximately 800 °C, where nano-inclusions of a titanium/magnesium oxynitride are formed in a LiTiO2-type superstructure are identified by XRD and TEM analysis.
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| 8. |
- Landälv, Ludvig, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of Si doping and O-2 flow on arc-deposited (Al,Cr)(2)O-3 coatings
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : A V S AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 37:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- (Al,Cr)(2)O-3 coatings with Al/( Al + Cr) = 0.5 or Al = 70 at. %, doped with 0, 5, or 10 at. % Si, were deposited on hard metal and Si(100) substrates to elucidate the influence of Si on the resulting coatings. The chemical analysis of the coatings showed between 3.3 and 7.4 at. % metal fraction Si incorporated into all studied coatings depending on cathode Si composition. The incorporated Si content does not change significantly with different oxygen flows covering a wide range of deposition conditions from low to high O-2 flow during growth. The addition of Si promotes the metastable B1-like cubic structure over the thermodynamically stable corundum structure. The hardness determined by nanoindentation of the as-deposited coatings is slightly reduced upon Si incorporation as well as upon increased Al content. Si is found enriched in droplets but can also be found at a lower content, evenly spread, without visible segregation at the similar to 5 nm scale, in the actual oxide coating. The positive effect of improved cathode erosion upon Si incorporation has to be balanced against the promotion of the metastable B1-like structure, having lower room temperature hardness and inferior thermal stability compared to the corundum structure. Published by the AVS.
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| 9. |
- Landälv, Ludvig, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Phase composition and transformations in magnetron-sputtered (Al,V)2O3 coatings
- 2019
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 688
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coatings of (Al1-xVx)2O3, with x ranging from 0 to 1, were deposited by pulsed DC reactive sputter deposition on Si(100) at a temperature of 550 °C. XRD showed three different crystal structures depending on V-metal fraction in the coating: α-V2O3 rhombohedral structure for 100 at.% V, a defect spinel structure for the intermediate region, 63–42 at.% V. At lower V-content, 18 and 7 at.%, a gamma-alumina-like solid solution was observed, shifted to larger d-spacing compared to pure γ-Al2O3. The microstructure changes from large columnar faceted grains for α-V2O3 to smaller equiaxed grains when lowering the vanadium content towards pure γ-Al2O3. Annealing in air resulted in formation of V2O5 crystals on the surface of the coating after annealing to 500 °C for 42 at.% V and 700 °C for 18 at.% V metal fraction respectively. The highest thermal stability was shown for pure γ-Al2O3-coating, which transformed to α-Al2O3 after annealing to 1100 °C. Highest hardness was observed for the Al-rich oxides, ~24 GPa. The latter decreased with increasing V-content, larger than 7 at.% V metal fraction. The measured hardness after annealing in air decreased in conjunction with the onset of further oxidation of the coatings.
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| 10. |
- Landälv, Ludvig, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Phase evolution of radio frequency magnetron sputtered Cr-rich (Cr,Zr)(2)O-3 coatings studied by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction during annealing in air or vacuum
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Research. - : CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. - 0884-2914 .- 2044-5326. ; 34:22, s. 3735-3746
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The phase evolution of reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtered Cr0.28Zr0.10O0.61 coatings has been studied by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction during annealing under air atmosphere and vacuum. The annealing in vacuum shows t-ZrO2 formation starting at similar to 750-800 degrees C, followed by decomposition of the alpha-Cr2O3 structure in conjunction with bcc-Cr formation, starting at similar to 950 degrees C. The resulting coating after annealing to 1140 degrees C is a mixture of t-ZrO2, m-ZrO2, and bcc-Cr. The air-annealed sample shows t-ZrO2 formation starting at similar to 750 degrees C. The resulting coating after annealing to 975 degrees C is a mixture of t-ZrO2 and alpha-Cr2O3 (with dissolved Zr). The microstructure coarsened slightly during annealing, but the mechanical properties are maintained, with no detectable bcc-Cr formation. A larger t-ZrO2 fraction compared with alpha-Cr2O3 is observed in the vacuum-annealed coating compared with the air-annealed coating at 975 degrees C. The results indicate that the studied pseudo-binary oxide is more stable in air atmosphere than in vacuum.
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