Heteroepitaxial c-(Ti0.37,Al0.63)N thin films were grown on MgO(001) and MgO(111) substrates using reactive magnetron sputtering. High resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron micrographs show coherency between the film and the substrate. In the as-deposited state, x-ray diffraction reciprocal space maps show a strained epitaxial film. Corresponding geometric phase analysis (GPA) deformation maps show a high stress in the film. At elevated temperature (900 °C), the films decompose to form iso-structural coherent c-AlN- and c-TiN-rich domains, elongated along the elastically soft <100> directions. GPA analysis reveals that the c-TiN domains accommodate more dislocations than the c-AlN domains. This is because of the stronger directionality of the covalent bonds in c-AlN compared with c-TiN, making it more favorable for the dislocations to accumulate in c-TiN. The defect structure and strain generation in c-(Ti,Al)N during spinodal decomposition is affected by the chemical bonding state and elastic properties of the segregated domains.
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14 March 2019
Research Article|
March 08 2019
Dislocation structure and microstrain evolution during spinodal decomposition of reactive magnetron sputtered heteroepixatial c-(Ti0.37,Al0.63)N/c-TiN films grown on MgO(001) and (111) substrates
K. M. Calamba
;
K. M. Calamba
a)
1
Nanostructured Materials, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden
2
Université de Lorraine, CNRS, IJL
, F-54000 Nancy, France
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J. F. Pierson
;
J. F. Pierson
2
Université de Lorraine, CNRS, IJL
, F-54000 Nancy, France
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S. Bruyère
;
S. Bruyère
2
Université de Lorraine, CNRS, IJL
, F-54000 Nancy, France
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A. L. Febvrier
;
A. L. Febvrier
3
Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden
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P. Eklund
;
P. Eklund
3
Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden
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J. Barrirero;
J. Barrirero
1
Nanostructured Materials, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden
4
Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science, Saarland University
, Saarbrucken DE-66123, Germany
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F. Mücklich;
F. Mücklich
4
Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science, Saarland University
, Saarbrucken DE-66123, Germany
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R. Boyd;
R. Boyd
1
Nanostructured Materials, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden
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M. P. Johansson Jõesaar;
M. P. Johansson Jõesaar
1
Nanostructured Materials, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden
5
SECO Tools AB
, Fagersta SE-73782, Sweden
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M. Odén
M. Odén
1
Nanostructured Materials, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden
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a)
Electronic mail: katherine.calamba@liu.se
J. Appl. Phys. 125, 105301 (2019)
Article history
Received:
August 10 2018
Accepted:
February 24 2019
Citation
K. M. Calamba, J. F. Pierson, S. Bruyère, A. L. Febvrier, P. Eklund, J. Barrirero, F. Mücklich, R. Boyd, M. P. Johansson Jõesaar, M. Odén; Dislocation structure and microstrain evolution during spinodal decomposition of reactive magnetron sputtered heteroepixatial c-(Ti0.37,Al0.63)N/c-TiN films grown on MgO(001) and (111) substrates. J. Appl. Phys. 14 March 2019; 125 (10): 105301. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5051609
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