Synthesis and characterization of (Ti1-xAlx)B2+Delta thin films from combinatorial magnetron sputteringShow others and affiliations
2019 (English)In: Thin Solid Films, ISSN 0040-6090, E-ISSN 1879-2731, Vol. 669, p. 181-187Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
(Ti1-xAlx)B2+Delta films with a lateral composition gradient of x = [0.30-0.66] and Delta = [0.07-1.22] were deposited on an Al2O3 wafer by dual magnetron sputtering at 400 degrees C from sintered TiB2 and AlB2 targets. Composition analysis indicates that higher Ti:Al ratios favor overstoichiometry in B and a reduced incorporation of O. Transmission electron microscopy reveals distinctly different microstructures of Ti- and Al-rich compositions, with formation of characteristic conical growth features for the latter along with a lower degree of crystallinity and significantly less tissue phase from B segregation at the grain boundaries. For Al-rich films, phase separation into Ti- and Al-rich diboride nanometer-size domains is observed and interpreted as surface-initiated spinodal decomposition. The hardness of the films ranges from 14 to 28 GPa, where the higher values were obtained for the Ti-rich regions of the metal boride.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA , 2019. Vol. 669, p. 181-187
Keywords [en]
Titanium aluminium diboride; Thin films; Combinatorial sputtering; Mechanical properties; Phase decomposition
National Category
Ceramics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-153652DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2018.10.042ISI: 000453405600026OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-153652DiVA, id: diva2:1276262
Note
Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenbergs (KAW) Foundation [KAW 2015.0043]; Swedish Research Council [330-2014-6336, 2016-04412, 642-2013-8020]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University [2009 00971]; Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions COFUND [INCA 600398]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research; Research Infrastructure Fellow Program [RIF 14-0074]; KAW Foundation
2019-01-072019-01-072019-03-06