Stabilization of cubic CrN{sub 0.6} in CrN{sub 0.6}/TiN superlattices

Journal Article · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.120621· OSTI ID:613941

Yashar, P; Chu, X; Barnett, S A ^[1]; Rechner, J; Wang, Y Y; Wong, M S; Sproul, W D ^[2]

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1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)
2. Advanced Coating Technology Group, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60201 (United States)

A transmission electron microscopy study of CrN{sub 0.6}/TiN superlattices deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering is described. The stable structure of CrN{sub 0.60} is hexagonal, but high resolution transmission electron microscopy images of the superlattices showed that CrN{sub 0.6} layers {le}10 nm thick were cubic, while 50 nm thick layers were hexagonal. That is, the cubic CrN structure was {open_quotes}epitaxially stabilized{close_quotes} by the cubic TiN, with which there is a 2.4{percent} lattice mismatch. The superlattices with hexagonal CrN{sub 0.6} showed high strains and defect densities within {approx}5 nm of each interface, presumably due to the 5.4{percent} volume decrease associated with the cubic-to-hexagonal transformation. The effect of this strain on the transformation is discussed. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 613941
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 72; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM NITRIDES
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
IMAGES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SPUTTERING
STRAINS
SUPERLATTICES
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM NITRIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY