Atomic-scale analyses of Nb3Sn on Nb prepared by vapor diffusion for superconducting radiofrequency cavity applications: a correlative study
- Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
We report on atomic-scale analyses of the microstructure of an Nb3Sn coating on Nb, prepared by a vapor diffusion process for superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavity applications using transmission electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction and first-principles calculations. Epitaxial growth of Nb3Sn on a Nb substrate is found and four types of orientation relationships (ORs) at the Nb3Sn/Nb interface are identified by electron diffraction or high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) analyses. Thin Nb3Sn grains are observed in regions with a low Sn flux and they have a specific OR: Nb3Sn //Nb and Nb3Sn //Nb The Nb3Sn/Nb interface of thin grains has a large lattice mismatch, 12.3%, between Nb and Nb3Sn (002) and a high density of misfit dislocations as observed by HR-STEM. Based on our microstructural analyses of the thin grains, we conclude that the thin regions are probably a result of a slow interfacial migration with this particular OR. The Sn-deficient regions are seen to form initially at the Nb3Sn/Nb interface and remain in the grains due to the slow diffusion of Sn in bulk Nb3Sn. The formation of Sn-deficient regions and the effects of interfacial energies on the formation of Sn-deficient regions at different interfaces are estimated by first-principles calculations. The finding of ORs at the Nb3Sn/Nb interface provides important information about the formation of imperfections in Nb3Sn coatings, such as large thin-regions and Sn-deficient regions, which are critical to the performance of Nb3Sn SRF cavities for accelerators.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-07CH11359
- OSTI ID:
- 1511670
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1529328
- Report Number(s):
- FERMILAB-PUB]-18-767-TD; FERMILAB-PUB-18-767-TD; 1718533
- Journal Information:
- Superconductor Science and Technology, Vol. 32, Issue 2; ISSN 0953-2048
- Publisher:
- IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Similar Records
Grain-boundary structure and segregation in Nb3Sn coatings on Nb for high-performance superconducting radiofrequency cavity applications
Development of SRF monolayer/multilayer thin film materials to increase the performance of SRF accelerating structures beyond bulk Nb