Fe-Al interface intermixing and the role of Ti, V, and Zr as a stabilizing interlayer at the interface

Journal Article · Wed Mar 04 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Journal of Applied Physics, 105(5):Art. No. 053504

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3079521· OSTI ID:951838

Priyantha, Weerasinghe A; Smith, Richard J; Chen, Hui; Kopczyk, M; Lerch, Michael; Key, Camas; Nachimuthu, Ponnusamy; Jiang, Weilin

Fe-Al bilayer interfaces with and without interface stabilizing layers (Ti, V or Zr) were fabricated using dc magnetron sputtering. Intermixing layer thickness and the effectiveness of the stabilizing layer (Ti, V, Zr) at the interface were studied using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and X-ray reflectometry (XRR). The result for the intermixing thickness of the AlFe layer is always larger when Fe is deposited on Al as compared to when Al is deposited on Fe. By comparing measurements with computer simulations, the thicknesses of the AlFe layers were determined to be 20.6 Å and 41.1 Å for Al/Fe and Fe/Al bilayer systems, respectively. The introduction of Ti and V stabilizing layers at the Fe-Al interface reduced the amount of intermixing between Al and Fe, consistent with the predictions of model calculations. The Zr interlayer, however, was ineffective in stabilizing the Fe-Al interface in spite of the chemical similarities between Ti and Zr. In addition, analysis suggests that the Ti interlayer is not effective in stabilizing the Fe-Al interface when the Ti interlayer is extremely thin (~3 Å) for these sputtered metallic films.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 951838
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-62438; 19805; KP1704020
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, 105(5):Art. No. 053504, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics, 105(5):Art. No. 053504 Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 105; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
Al-Fe interface
interface mixing
RBS
XRR
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
INTERFACES
IRON ALLOYS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
STABILITY
SYNTHESIS
TITANIUM
VANADIUM
ZIRCONIUM