Oxidation of sputter-deposited nanocrystalline Mo–Si–N (MoSi2.2N2.5) coatings in oxygen–water vapor atmosphere has been studied in the temperature range 400–850 °C. In addition, the oxidation properties of nanolayered Mo–Si–N/SiC coatings at 700 °C were studied and compared to those of single-layer coatings of both components. No pest disintegration was observed in Mo–Si–N up to 200 h of oxidation. A preexponential rate constant of (3.7 ± 0.5) × 109 (1015 atoms/cm2)2/h and activation energy 1.03 ± 0.02 eV were determined from an Arrhenius plot for parabolic oxygen buildup on Mo–Si–N. Up to 20% less oxygen was detected in the oxidized nanolayered coatings compared to either of the components as a single layer, indicating an improvement in oxidation resistance.

Important features of the icosahedral reciprocal space have been brought out. All reciprocal vectors up to sixth generation (by addition of icosahedral vectors) have been considered. Some more relationships for indexing the icosahedral phase are derived, and it is shown that the zone law using Cahn indices is also analogous to that valid for crystals. All important vectors, i.e., up to fourth generation and sixth generation, have been identified. Poles of all these vectors have been determined and shown to be one of the zone axes formed by these vectors. The types of indices that the planes and axes will have in three-dimensional and six-dimensional coordinates is discussed.

We report here on the results of a numerical study on the effects of intrinsic stress on the growth of SiO2 thin films. In accordance with a widely accepted model of stress effects upon silicon oxidation, we assume that the intrinsic stress affects only the oxidant diffusion rate. We examine several different models of stress-assisted diffusion. In the first of these models, the diffusivity is taken to be an exponential function of the stress, whereas in the second, the stress gradient appears as an additional term in the standard diffusion equation. Intrinsic stress effects result in deviations of up to 18% in expected layer thickness, depending upon the mode of oxidation and the diffusion model adopted. The implications of these results for the measurement of diffusion coefficients in SiO2 films are discussed.

The best linear fit of Hc(T)/Ms(T) versus implies that Hc is determined by a nucleation process in nanocrystalline two-phase magnets. The condition of the grain shapes is improved after adding Hf and Ga, but the surfaces are deteriorated by some precipitates on the boundary. Taking into account the values of α, Neff, the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Mössbauer spectroscopy, the magnetic field heat treatment not only induces grain refinement but also causes a uniform distribution of the soft and hard phases. Both the remanence and energy product values are increased by 20–30% for all ribbons after annealing with magnetic field. The magnetic interaction in Nd2Fe14B/Fe3B + αFe-based nanocrystalline two-phase magnets is studied using δM plots in this paper. It is found that the exchange-coupled interaction is greatly enhanced in the sample annealed with magnetic heat treatment, especially Nd4Fe76Co3Hf0.5Ga0.5B16, which achieves the highest energy product (BH)max = 15.8 MGOe.

The relationship between the defect microstructure of SiC films grown by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy on 4H and 6H–SiC substrates and their growth conditions, for substrate temperatures ranging between 950 and 1300 °C, has been investigated by a combination of transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results demonstrate that the formation of defective cubic films is generally found to occur at temperatures below 1000 °C. At temperatures above 1000 °C our investigations prove that simultaneous supply of C and Si in the step-flow growth mode on vicinal 4H and 6H substrate surfaces results in defect-free hexagonal SiC layers, and defect-free cubic SiC can be grown by the alternating deposition technique. The controlled overgrowth of hexagonal on top of cubic layers is demonstrated for thin layer thicknesses.

The continuously recording indentation responses of a number of coated systems, mainly thin (<10 μm) hard nitride coatings on stainless steels and a powder metallurgy tool steel, have been explored using nanoindentation with indenter displacements increasing progressively to values greater than the coating thickness. The resultant load-displacement data have been analyzed not only to produce conventional load-displacement (P-δ) plots but also to examine the relationship between P and δ2. Recent models have proposed that there should be a linear P-δ2 relationship for homogeneous systems and that such plots have the potential to reveal the load/displacement regimes in which either the coating or the substrate, or both, are dominant in controlling the overall behavior of the coated system. By utilizing point-to-point differentiation of the P-δ2 relationship, this paper extends this approach to confirm not only that these different regimes of behavior may be readily experimentally identified in this way, but also that further details, such as the propagation of cracks, may be recognized. Our analysis also provides a valuable experimental link to models describing the near-surface deformation behavior of coated systems.

A systematic investigation has been made on surface defect states of crystallites in the crystallization process of sputtered amorphous silicon films by isothermal annealing. Transmission electron microscopic observations indicate a pronounced vertical columnar structure in the upper part of the films, where the crystallization is delayed. Admittance spectroscopy reveals that two newly generated energy levels with the crystallization are attributed to the crystallites in the lower and upper parts of the films in view of the anisotropic crystallization. These thermally induced changes can be well explained by Si–Si shearing modes at the interfaces of crystallites through the process of crystallization.

The local order around Fe, Co, and Cu atoms was investigated by extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy in Fe–Co–Cu nanocrystalline alloys prepared by mechanical alloying. In order to study the time evolution of the alloying process, Fe30Co20Cu50 samples were studied after several processing times. The analysis of the data shows that, in a first step, a binary Co–Cu alloy is formed, but iron remains separate in the form of nanocrystals with a high defect concentration. Afterwards, in a second step, the final ternary Fe–Co–Cu alloy with the face-centered-cubic structure is obtained.

We report here the remarkable abrasion wear resistance (normal pressure: 2.92 to 5.42 MPa; sliding speed: 0.25 to 3 m/s) of a soft (relative to other structural ceramics) melt-oxidized ceramic matrix composite Al2O3 –SiC–(Al, Si). In spite of being half as hard and more porous than zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA), a common cutting tool material, this composite fabricated at 1100 °C shows wear resistance comparable to that of ZTA at sliding speeds more than 2 m/s. The ability of this composite to generate a metal-rich tribofilm when rubbed and its high thermal shock resistance are factors which may be responsible for this unique performance.

Impurity atmospheres around dislocations have been studied in n-type Si-doped liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) GaAs substrates by micro-Raman spectroscopy, diluted Sirtl-like etching with light (DSL) method, and electron-beam-induced current (EBIC). A complete morphological study of the recombinative atmospheres revealed by photoetching was achieved by phase stepping microscopy (PSM), which is an optical interferometry technique allowing to obtain the surface topography with a high vertical resolution (in the nanometer range). The minority carrier diffusion length was measured by EBIC at different points of the atmospheres. Structural distortion at the regions surrounding the dislocation core were observed by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The carrier depletion depth and the recombination of the photogenerated carriers were also studied by Raman spectroscopy, obtaining a good agreement with the EBIC data and the photoetching rates. Impurity gettering and diffusion and defect reactions involving As interstitials are assumed to play a major role in the formation of the recombinative atmospheres.

High normal current fluences have long been reported to produce major changes in the x-ray diffraction pattern of YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO). These x-ray diffraction effects have now been shown to result from the removal of barium from the YBCO near-surface lattice together with the formation of a thin barium oxide overlayer. Neutron diffraction reveals that the bulk crystallographic structure remains unaltered by charge fluences of more than 40 million C/cm2, and Auger electron spectroscopy confirms the presence of surface barium enrichment.

Effects of the heating rate (100−6000 °C/h) to a peritectic temperature (Tp – 1015 °C) on conversion of Y2O3−BaCuO2−CuO and Y2BaCuO5−BaCuO2−CuO precursor powders into YBa2Cu3O7−y (Y123) were studied. Both precursor powders were rapidly converted into the Y123 phase. A volume fraction of the Y123 phase was more than 50%, even at a relatively fast heating rate of 3000 °C/h. At about 100−200 °C/h, which correspond to the rates of the first heating cycles of practical melt processes, almost 100% of the precursor powders were converted into a Y123 phase. Microstructures were studied in respect to Y2BaCuO5 (Y211) particle size, distribution, gas evolution, and nucleation mechanism of Y211 particles.

Formation of a homogeneous nanocrystalline CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se2 alloy was achieved by mechanical alloying of blended elemental Cu, In, Ga, and Se powders in a planetary ball mill. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy and diffraction techniques were employed to follow the structural evolution during milling. It was observed that, depending upon the milling conditions, either a metastable cubic or a stable tetragonal phase was produced. The grain size of the mechanically alloyed powder was about 10 nm. The mechanically alloyed powder was consolidated to full density by hot isostatic pressing the powder at 750 °C and 100 MPa for 2 h. Irrespective of the nature of the phase in the starting powder, the hot isostatically pressed compact contained the well-recrystallized tetragonal CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se2 phase with a grain size of about 50 nm.

Growth of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) films from In–Ga–Se precursors was characterized by scanning Auger electron spectroscopy (SAES), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In–Ga–Se precursor layers were deposited on Mo-coated soda-lime glass, and then the layers were exposed to Cu and Se fluxes to form CIGS films. The SIMS and SAES analyses showed a homogeneous distribution of Cu throughout the CIGS films during the deposition of Cu and Se. The phase changes observed in the CIGS films during the deposition of Cu and Se on the In–Ga–Se precursor films were as follows: (In,Ga)2Se3 →[Cu(In,Ga)5Se8] →Cu(In,Ga)3Se5 →Cu(In,Ga)Se2. The grain size increased from the submicron grains of the (In,Ga)2Se3 precursor film to several micrometers in the stoichiometric Cu(In,Ga)Se2 film. A growth model of CIGS crystals is introduced on the basis of the results of TEM observations. CIGS crystals are mainly grown under (In,Ga)-rich conditions in the preparation from In–Ga–Se precursor films.

Transmission electron microsopy (TEM), Hall effect, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmission measurements were performed to investigate the structural, electrical, and optical properties of indium-doped Hg0.8Cd0.2Te epitaxial layers grown on Cd0.96Zn0.04Te (211) B substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. The TEM measurements showed that high-quality Hg0.8Cd0.2Te epitaxial layers with interfacial abruptnesses were grown on the Cd0.96Zn0.04Te substrates. The Van der Pauw Hall effect measurements on typical indium-doped Hg0.8Cd0.2Te/Cd0.96Zn0.04Te heterostructures with a doping concentration of 6 × 1016 cm−3 at 10 K in a magnetic field of 0.5 T yielded a carrier density and a mobility of 2.2 × 1016 cm−3 and 40,000 cm2/V s, respectively. The FTIR spectra showed that the absorption edges of the indium-doped Hg0.8Cd0.2Te/Cd0.96Zn0.04Te heterostructures shifted to a shorter wavelength range than those of the undoped samples, which was caused by the Burstein–Moss effect. The FTIR spectra also showed that the transmittance intensities of the indium-doped Hg0.8Cd0.2Te/Cd0.96Zn0.04Te heterostructures increased compared with those of the undoped heterostructures, which is due to the compensation of the Hg vacancy defects by the indium atoms. These results indicate that the indium-doped Hg0.8Cd0.2Te epitaxial layers were high-quality n-type layers and that p-HgxCd1−xTe epilayers can be grown on indium-doped Hg0.8Cd0.2Te/Cd0.96Zn0.04Te heterostructures for the fabrication of HgxCd1−xTe photoconductors and photodiodes.

Conventionally, the wetting of metallic substrates by liquid metals involves undermining of the substrate–oxide layer by the liquid. Evidence is presented here for an alternative wetting process involving spreading of liquid copper along the exterior of the oxide layer on Ti–48 at.% Al–2 at.% Cr–2 at.% Nb substrates. A mechanism is presented that involves compositional changes in the liquid, which in turn allow a wetting-promoting reaction between the (initially unreactive) liquid and the exterior layer of the substrate oxide.

Methods for analyzing nanoindentation load-displacement data to determine hardness and elastic modulus are based on analytical solutions for the indentation of an elastic half-space by rigid axisymmetric indenters. Careful examination of Sneddon's solution for indentation by a rigid cone reveals several largely ignored features that have important implications for nanoindentation property measurement. Finite element and analytical results are presented that show corrections to Sneddon's equations are needed if accurate results are to be obtained. Without the corrections, the equations underestimate the load and contact stiffness in a manner that leads to errors in the measured hardness and modulus, with the magnitudes of the errors depending on the angle of the indenter and Poisson's ratio of the half-space. First order corrections are derived, and general implications for the interpretation of nanoindentation data are discussed.

An In0.25Ga0.75Sb/InAs strained-layer superlattice, grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on a GaSb[001] substrate, has been characterized by four-circle x-ray diffractometry. This system, proposed by Maliot and Smith for ir detection application, is challenging because of the two group V species and the likelihood of cross-incorporation of the different elements during growth, leading possibly to interdiffusion and thus, to a more diffuse interface. High-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) profiles were obtained about several reciprocal lattice points in order to extract a reliable set of structural parameters. The profiles were then successfully modeled by computer simulation. The presence of many sharp higher-order satellite reflections in the XRD profiles is a measure of the high quality of the superlattices. The normal and lateral structural coherence was also measured and will be discussed.

The activation energy for crystallization of β-spodumene in TiO2 added Li2O–Al2O3–4SiO2 (LAS) precursor powders by a sol-gel process was studied by using isothermal and nonisothermal methods. Nonisothermal kinetics for the LAS precursor powder system were investigated using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and quantitative x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The rate of crystallization of LAS precursor powders decreased as the TiO2 content increased. For samples with addition of 0, 5.0, and 10.0 wt% TiO2, the activation energies for crystallization by DTA evaluation were 165.06, 194.46, and 205.38 kJ/mol, respectively. According to the quantitative XRD method, the values computed by the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami equation were 162.54, 189.42, and 196.14 kJ/mol, respectively. The values obtained by isothermal and nonisothermal kinetic methods from DTA and XRD analyses were in good agreement. The growth morphology parameters were 0.59, 0.70, and 0.76, respectively, for the LAS precursor powder with TiO2 addition of 0, 5.0, and 10.0 wt%, showing a rodlike growth. In the LAS precursor powder system, TiO2 did not act as the nucleative agent.

Al/Mg2Si composites were in situ fabricated by the usual die-casting technique, and effects of the Si contents in the composites on microstructures and tensile strengths were investigated. Experimental results show that extra Si contents in Al/Mg2Si composites induce a ductile matrix and a uniform distribution of in situ particles. The refined microstructures lead to an obvious increase in both strength and ductility of the metal matrix composites (MMCs). The effects of extra Si on both the solidification process and fracture characteristics of the Al/Mg2Si composites were analyzed.