Structural studies of amorphous titanium diboride thin films by extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure and extended electron-energy-loss fine-structure techniques

Journal Article · Sat Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.38.7333· OSTI ID:6782323

Kaloyeros, A E; Hoffman, M P; Williams, W S; Greene, A E; McMillan, J A

The local atomic structure of amorphous titanium diboride thin films, prepared by electron-beam vaporization (EBV) of the crystalline compound onto liquid-nitrogen-cooled substrates, was studied using extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) and extended energy-loss fine-structure (EXELFS) techniques. From a comparison of the extended fine-structure spectra of the amorphous films with corresponding spectra of crystalline titanium diboride, accurate information was derived on the nature of the local structure, or short-range order, and on the coordination numbers, interatomic distances, and nanostructural atomic disorder in amorphous TiB/sub 2/. A relaxation of the interatomic spacing and a reduction of coordination number for the nearest-neighbor atoms was inferred for the amorphous state. Local prismatic coordination with random 90/sup 0/ rotations about prismatic planes is proposed as a likely atomic structure consistent with the data for the amorphous form. Finally, EXAFS and EXELFS were employed to examine in detail the structural changes induced in amorphous TiB/sub 2/ by variations in the EBV deposition parameters, and to determine a set of optimized parameters for the EBV deposition of a TiB/sub 2/ stable amorphous phase.

• Research Organization: Physics Department, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York 12222
• OSTI ID: 6782323
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Vol. 38:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
TITANIUM BORIDES
MICROSTRUCTURE
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
AMORPHOUS STATE
ELECTRON SPECTRA
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY
FINE STRUCTURE
RELAXATION
THIN FILMS
VAPOR DEPOSITED COATINGS
X-RAY SPECTRA
BORIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
COATINGS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
FILMS
LOSSES
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
360202* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Structure & Phase Studies