Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin films
Despite AlB2 is the most typical structure prototype of transition metal diborides (TMB2), studies on AlB2 thin films are scarce. Furthermore, although Al is the primary alloying element for TMB2 to improve their oxidation resistance, no such data are available for AlB2 thin films. Here, we develop...
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Materials & Design |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525000048 |
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| author | Chun Hu Stanislav Mráz Peter J. Pöllmann T. Wojcik M. Podsednik B. Hajas A. Limbeck Nikola Koutná Jochen M. Schneider Paul H. Mayrhofer |
| author_facet | Chun Hu Stanislav Mráz Peter J. Pöllmann T. Wojcik M. Podsednik B. Hajas A. Limbeck Nikola Koutná Jochen M. Schneider Paul H. Mayrhofer |
| author_sort | Chun Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite AlB2 is the most typical structure prototype of transition metal diborides (TMB2), studies on AlB2 thin films are scarce. Furthermore, although Al is the primary alloying element for TMB2 to improve their oxidation resistance, no such data are available for AlB2 thin films. Here, we develop AlBx thin films through non-reactive magnetron sputtering of an AlB2 compound target and investigate their microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal stability and oxidation resistance. Keeping the substrate temperature at 700 °C and increasing the Ar pressure during deposition from pAr = 0.4 to 0.8 to 1.2, Pa, the films‘ chemistry slightly varies between x = 1.99, 1.97, and to 2.27, respectively. Detailed transmission electron microscopy shows that the highly (0001)-oriented AlB2.27 thin film exhibits small platelet-like amorphous B regions next to the large columnar α-structured AlB2 crystals. In the as deposited state, this film exhibits an indentation hardness and elastic modulus of 19.2 ± 1.2 GPa and 331.8 ± 14.4 GPa, respectively. Between 850 and 900 °C, the AlB2.27 thin film starts to decompose into tetragonal (t-) AlB12, but still maintains dominant α structure up to 950 °C. At 1000 °C, the thin film is completely decomposed into t-AlB12 and hexagonal AlB10. The AlB2.27 thin film also shows exceptional oxidation-resistance with an onset temperature for the formation of oxides (α-Al2O3 and o-Al18B4O33) between 950 and 1000 °C when exposed to lab-air. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-16ac38cd8257443bab1987f5aa71e2ee |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0264-1275 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials & Design |
| spelling | doaj-art-16ac38cd8257443bab1987f5aa71e2ee2025-01-11T06:38:25ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752025-02-01250113584Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin filmsChun Hu0Stanislav Mráz1Peter J. Pöllmann2T. Wojcik3M. Podsednik4B. Hajas5A. Limbeck6Nikola Koutná7Jochen M. Schneider8Paul H. Mayrhofer9Institute of Materials Science and Technology, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna A-1060, Austria; Corresponding author.Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr. 10, D-52074 Aachen, GermanyMaterials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr. 10, D-52074 Aachen, GermanyInstitute of Materials Science and Technology, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna A-1060, AustriaInstitute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, TU Wien, A-1060 Wien, Austria; KAI Kompetenzzentrum Automobil- und Industrieelektronik GmbH, Technologiepark Villach Europastraße 8, A-9524 Villach, AustriaInstitute of Materials Science and Technology, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna A-1060, AustriaInstitute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, TU Wien, A-1060 Wien, AustriaInstitute of Materials Science and Technology, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna A-1060, Austria; Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping SE-58183, SwedenMaterials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr. 10, D-52074 Aachen, GermanyInstitute of Materials Science and Technology, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna A-1060, AustriaDespite AlB2 is the most typical structure prototype of transition metal diborides (TMB2), studies on AlB2 thin films are scarce. Furthermore, although Al is the primary alloying element for TMB2 to improve their oxidation resistance, no such data are available for AlB2 thin films. Here, we develop AlBx thin films through non-reactive magnetron sputtering of an AlB2 compound target and investigate their microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal stability and oxidation resistance. Keeping the substrate temperature at 700 °C and increasing the Ar pressure during deposition from pAr = 0.4 to 0.8 to 1.2, Pa, the films‘ chemistry slightly varies between x = 1.99, 1.97, and to 2.27, respectively. Detailed transmission electron microscopy shows that the highly (0001)-oriented AlB2.27 thin film exhibits small platelet-like amorphous B regions next to the large columnar α-structured AlB2 crystals. In the as deposited state, this film exhibits an indentation hardness and elastic modulus of 19.2 ± 1.2 GPa and 331.8 ± 14.4 GPa, respectively. Between 850 and 900 °C, the AlB2.27 thin film starts to decompose into tetragonal (t-) AlB12, but still maintains dominant α structure up to 950 °C. At 1000 °C, the thin film is completely decomposed into t-AlB12 and hexagonal AlB10. The AlB2.27 thin film also shows exceptional oxidation-resistance with an onset temperature for the formation of oxides (α-Al2O3 and o-Al18B4O33) between 950 and 1000 °C when exposed to lab-air.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525000048AlB2 thin filmMicrostructureThermal stabilityOxidation resistanceAb initio |
| spellingShingle | Chun Hu Stanislav Mráz Peter J. Pöllmann T. Wojcik M. Podsednik B. Hajas A. Limbeck Nikola Koutná Jochen M. Schneider Paul H. Mayrhofer Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin films Materials & Design AlB2 thin film Microstructure Thermal stability Oxidation resistance Ab initio |
| title | Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin films |
| title_full | Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin films |
| title_fullStr | Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin films |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin films |
| title_short | Microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline AlB2 thin films |
| title_sort | microstructure mechanical properties thermal decomposition and oxidation sequences of crystalline alb2 thin films |
| topic | AlB2 thin film Microstructure Thermal stability Oxidation resistance Ab initio |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525000048 |
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