Molecular dynamics simulations of the microstructure of the aluminum/alumina interfacial layer

The atomic structure and charge distribution pattern of the Al/α-Al2O3 interface were studied utilizing molecular dynamics simulations. In order to accurately describe the interactions between the atoms around the interface, the charge transfer ionic and embedded atom method potential was used. Energetically preferable Al/α-Al2O3 interface systems were first determined to study the layer structures of the interface systems. Two energetically preferable Al/α-Al2O3 interface systems with a [1¯10](111)Al∥[101¯0](0001)Al2O3 orientation relationship were obtained, corresponding to the atop-O Al-terminated and atop-O O-terminated relaxed models, respectively. Further studies revealed the presence of an interfacial layer, which is consistent with experimental results. The models predict a thickness of the interfacial layer between 12.14 Å and 16.82 Å. It is composed of aluminum suboxide (with an Al to O atomic ratio between 1:1.07 and 1:1.17). In addition, both the combination between the interfacial layer and the metallic Al layer and the interfacial layer and the ceramic α-Al2O3 were perfect. In order to further study the atomic structure of the Al/α-Al2O3 interfacial layer, it was isolated from the system and modeled separately. An analysis of the radial distribution function revealed that the interfacial layer inherits its structure from the α-Al2O3 moiety. The study of the charge distributions in the interface systems indicates that the charge of the Al atoms in the interfacial layer is mainly in the range from +2.1 e to +2.6 e while the charge of the O atoms is at the saturated state of −2e.