Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10668141 | Surface and Coatings Technology | 2011 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Transition metal aluminium nitride (TM-Al-N) thin films are valued for their excellent mechanical (e.g. hardness) as well as protective (e.g. oxidation resistance) properties. This paper addresses the structure and phase stability of group IVB TM-Al-N systems Ti1âxAlxN, Zr1âxAlxN, and Hf1âxAlxN. The predicted stability regions of the rock salt cubic structures are x â¤Â 0.7, x â¤Â 0.45, and x â¤Â 0.45, respectively, while the wurtzite-type single phase field is obtained for x â¥Â 0.7, x â¥Â 0.68, and x â¥Â 0.62 respectively. The predicted phase stability regions and the broad dual-phase transition regions in the case of Zr1âxAlxN and Hf1âxAlxN are validated by experiments. Furthermore, the phase transition from cubic to wurtzite with increasing Al content in the alloys is correlated with changes of electronic structure and bonding in the systems.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Authors
David Holec, Richard Rachbauer, Li Chen, Lan Wang, Doris Luef, Paul H. Mayrhofer,