Substrate orientation effects on the nucleation and growth of the M{sub n+1}AX{sub n} phase Ti{sub 2}AlC

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3527960· OSTI ID:21538037

Tucker, Mark D; Guenette, Mathew C; Bilek, Marcela M. M.; McKenzie, David R ^[1]; Persson, Per O. A.; Rosen, Johanna ^[1]

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1. School of Physics, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006 (Australia)

The M{sub n+1}AX{sub n} (MAX) phases are ternary compounds comprising alternating layers of a transition metal carbide or nitride and a third ''A-group'' element. The effect of substrate orientation on the growth of Ti{sub 2}AlC MAX phase films was investigated by studying pulsed cathodic arc deposited samples grown on sapphire cut along the (0001), (1010), and (1102) crystallographic planes. Characterization of these samples was by x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. On the (1010) substrate, tilted (1018) growth of Ti{sub 2}AlC was found, such that the TiC octahedra of the MAX phase structure have the same orientation as a spontaneously formed epitaxial TiC sublayer, preserving the typical TiC-Ti{sub 2}AlC epitaxial relationship and confirming the importance of this relationship in determining MAX phase film orientation. An additional component of Ti{sub 2}AlC with tilted fiber texture was observed in this sample; tilted fiber texture, or axiotaxy, has not previously been seen in MAX phase films.

• OSTI ID: 21538037
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 109, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3527960; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
CRYSTALS
EPITAXY
LAYERS
SAPPHIRE
TERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
TITANIUM CARBIDES
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X RADIATION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ALLOY SYSTEMS
CARBIDES
COHERENT SCATTERING
CORUNDUM
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
DIFFRACTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MICROSCOPY
MINERALS
OXIDE MINERALS
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING