Thermal stability of Ti3SiC2 thin films

The thermal stability of Ti3SiC2(0 0 0 1) thin films is studied by in situ X-ray diffraction analysis during vacuum furnace annealing in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The films are found to be stable during annealing at temperatures up to ∼1000 °C for 25 h. Annealing at 1100–1200 °C results in the rapid decomposition of Ti3SiC2 by Si out-diffusion along the basal planes via domain boundaries to the free surface with subsequent evaporation. As a consequence, the material shrinks by the relaxation of the Ti3C2 slabs and, it is proposed, by an in-diffusion of O into the empty Si-mirror planes. The phase transformation process is followed by the detwinning of the as-relaxed Ti3C2 slabs into (1 1 1)-oriented TiC0.67 layers, which begin recrystallizing at 1300 °C. Ab initio calculations are provided supporting the presented decomposition mechanisms.