scholarly journals Fracture in Bulk Amorphous Alloys

1998 ◽  
Vol 554 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Horton ◽  
J. L. Wright ◽  
J. H. Schneibel

AbstractThe fracture behavior of a Zr-based bulk amorphous alloy, Zr-10 Al-5 Ti-17.9 Cu-14.6Ni (at.%), was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction forany evidence of crystallization preceding crack propagation. No evidence for crystallizationwas found in shear bands in compression specimens or at the fracture surface in tensile specimens.In- situ TEM deformation experiments were performed to more closely examine actualcrack tip regions. During the in-situ deformation experiment, controlled crack growth occurredto the point where the specimen was approximately 20 μm thick at which point uncontrolledcrack growth occurred. No evidence of any crystallization was found at the crack tips or thecrack flanks. Subsequent scanning microscope examination showed that the uncontrolledcrack growth region exhibited ridges and veins that appeared to have resulted from melting. Performing the deformations, both bulk and in-situ TEM, at liquid nitrogen temperatures (LN2) resulted in an increase in the amount of controlled crack growth. The surface roughness of the bulk regions fractured at LN2 temperatures corresponded with the roughness of the crack propagation observed during the in-situ TEM experiment, suggesting that the smooth-appearing room temperature fracture surfaces may also be a result of localized melting.

1994 ◽  
Vol 364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingwei Chen ◽  
Da Chen ◽  
Dongliang Lin

AbstractCrack propagation process in TiAl alloy PST crystal has been investigated by in situ straining TEM observation. It has been found that the influence of lamellar boundaries on the fracture behaviors is connected with the types of interfaces (twin, pseudo-twin and α2/γ interfaces). Even though secondary microcracks always nucleate at α2/γ interfaces due to stress concentration, the crack growth is cleavage in α2 and γ phases rather than along interlamellae. When a crack meet γ/γ interfaces, its propagation can be inhibited and crack tips blunt by the slide of the interfaces. It also deserves to be mentioned that ductility of PST crystals has connection with the rate of crack propagation..


1996 ◽  
Vol 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Gignac ◽  
V. Svilan ◽  
L. A. Clevenger ◽  
C. Cabral ◽  
C. Lavoie

AbstractIn situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations of TiSi2 C49-to-C54 phase transformations were recorded on video tape and photographic negatives, and transformation front velocities (vTF) were measured from the data. The samples studied in this work include: C49-TiSi2 blanket films and 0.2 μm wide, 7 mm long lines on undoped poly-Si and 0.13 μm wide, 10 μm long lines on either B- or As-doped poly-Si. The in situ TEM analysis showed that blanket TiSi2 films on undoped poly-Si fully transformed at 830°C and had an average vTF of 0.5 ± 0.2 μm/s. The transformation occurred from a sparse nucleation density of ˜0.1 site/μm2. The 0.2 μm wide lines transformed at temperatures greater than 885°C, and the average vTF was 1.1 ± 0.2 μm/sec. Agglomeration started for both the blanket film and the 0.2 μm wide lines at temperatures above 900°C. In situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of C49-TiSi2 on B- and As-doped poly-Si showed that blanket films completely transformed to C54-TiSi2 at T = 835–843°C, but 0.13 μm wide, varying length lines did not fully transform, even when rapid thermal annealed to 1025°C. From in situ TEM analysis of 0.13 μm wide, 10 μm long C49-TiSi2 lines on B-doped poly-Si, a distinct transformation was not observed. Instead, the lines slowly agglomerated, and electron diffraction of the agglomerated regions showed that the film had transformed to C54-TiSi2. An individual line either 1) completely transformed and agglomerated or 2) remained as C49-TiSi2 and did not agglomerate. Approximately 85% of all lines transformed. In situ TEM analysis of 0.13 μm wide, 10 μm long lines of C49-TiSi2 on As-doped poly-Si also showed an indistinct transformation to the C54 phase along with agglomeration, and 100% of the lines transformed.


1991 ◽  
Vol 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. J. Zhang ◽  
Y. Z. Wang ◽  
G. C. Hadjipanayis

ABSTRACTThe amorphous-crystalline transformation in R-Fe-B ribbons was studied in situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and with X-ray diffraction. Metastable phases of α-Fe(R) and Fe3B were found to form during crystallization before the final R2Fe14B phase is formed. The Fe3B phase is believed to be important for the formation of the 2:14:1 phase because its “local unit structure” is one of the basic building blocks in the 2:14:1 unit cell.


Author(s):  
R. E. Herfert

Studies of the nature of a surface, either metallic or nonmetallic, in the past, have been limited to the instrumentation available for these measurements. In the past, optical microscopy, replica transmission electron microscopy, electron or X-ray diffraction and optical or X-ray spectroscopy have provided the means of surface characterization. Actually, some of these techniques are not purely surface; the depth of penetration may be a few thousands of an inch. Within the last five years, instrumentation has been made available which now makes it practical for use to study the outer few 100A of layers and characterize it completely from a chemical, physical, and crystallographic standpoint. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) provides a means of viewing the surface of a material in situ to magnifications as high as 250,000X.


Author(s):  
F. M. Ross ◽  
R. Hull ◽  
D. Bahnck ◽  
J. C. Bean ◽  
L. J. Peticolas ◽  
...  

We describe an investigation of the electrical properties of interfacial dislocations in strained layer heterostructures. We have been measuring both the structural and electrical characteristics of strained layer p-n junction diodes simultaneously in a transmission electron microscope, enabling us to correlate changes in the electrical characteristics of a device with the formation of dislocations.The presence of dislocations within an electronic device is known to degrade the device performance. This degradation is of increasing significance in the design and processing of novel strained layer devices which may require layer thicknesses above the critical thickness (hc), where it is energetically favourable for the layers to relax by the formation of misfit dislocations at the strained interfaces. In order to quantify how device performance is affected when relaxation occurs we have therefore been investigating the electrical properties of dislocations at the p-n junction in Si/GeSi diodes.


Author(s):  
Tai D. Nguyen ◽  
Ronald Gronsky ◽  
Jeffrey B. Kortright

Nanometer period Ru/C multilayers are one of the prime candidates for normal incident reflecting mirrors at wavelengths < 10 nm. Superior performance, which requires uniform layers and smooth interfaces, and high stability of the layered structure under thermal loadings are some of the demands in practical applications. Previous studies however show that the Ru layers in the 2 nm period Ru/C multilayer agglomerate upon moderate annealing, and the layered structure is no longer retained. This agglomeration and crystallization of the Ru layers upon annealing to form almost spherical crystallites is a result of the reduction of surface or interfacial energy from die amorphous high energy non-equilibrium state of the as-prepared sample dirough diffusive arrangements of the atoms. Proposed models for mechanism of thin film agglomeration include one analogous to Rayleigh instability, and grain boundary grooving in polycrystalline films. These models however are not necessarily appropriate to explain for the agglomeration in the sub-nanometer amorphous Ru layers in Ru/C multilayers. The Ru-C phase diagram shows a wide miscible gap, which indicates the preference of phase separation between these two materials and provides an additional driving force for agglomeration. In this paper, we study the evolution of the microstructures and layered structure via in-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and attempt to determine the order of occurence of agglomeration and crystallization in the Ru layers by observing the diffraction patterns.


Author(s):  
J. T. Sizemore ◽  
D. G. Schlom ◽  
Z. J. Chen ◽  
J. N. Eckstein ◽  
I. Bozovic ◽  
...  

Investigators observe large critical currents for superconducting thin films deposited epitaxially on single crystal substrates. The orientation of these films is often characterized by specifying the unit cell axis that is perpendicular to the substrate. This omits specifying the orientation of the other unit cell axes and grain boundary angles between grains of the thin film. Misorientation between grains of YBa2Cu3O7−δ decreases the critical current, even in those films that are c axis oriented. We presume that these results are similar for bismuth based superconductors and report the epitaxial orientations and textures observed in such films.Thin films of nominally Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox were deposited on MgO using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). These films were in situ grown (during growth oxygen was incorporated and the films were not oxygen post-annealed) and shuttering was used to encourage c axis growth. Other papers report the details of the synthesis procedure. The films were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).


Author(s):  
S. Hagège ◽  
U. Dahmen ◽  
E. Johnson ◽  
A. Johansen ◽  
V.S. Tuboltsev

Small particles of a low-melting phase embedded in a solid matrix with a higher melting point offer the possibility of studying the mechanisms of melting and solidification directly by in-situ observation in a transmission electron microscope. Previous studies of Pb, Cd and other low-melting inclusions embedded in an Al matrix have shown well-defined orientation relationships, strongly faceted shapes, and an unusual size-dependent superheating before melting.[e.g. 1,2].In the present study we have examined the shapes and thermal behavior of eutectic Pb-Cd inclusions in Al. Pb and Cd form a simple eutectic system with each other, but both elements are insoluble in solid Al. Ternary alloys of Al (Pb,Cd) were prepared from high purity elements by melt spinning or by sequential ion implantation of the two alloying additions to achieve a total alloying addition of up to lat%. TEM observations were made using a heating stage in a 200kV electron microscope equipped with a video system for recording dynamic behavior.


Author(s):  
M. Park ◽  
S.J. Krause ◽  
S.R. Wilson

Cu alloying in Al interconnection lines on semiconductor chips improves their resistance to electromigration and hillock growth. Excess Cu in Al can result in the formation of Cu-rich Al2Cu (θ) precipitates. These precipitates can significantly increase corrosion susceptibility due to the galvanic action between the θ-phase and the adjacent Cu-depleted matrix. The size and distribution of the θ-phase are also closely related to the film susceptibility to electromigration voiding. Thus, an important issue is the precipitation phenomena which occur during thermal device processing steps. In bulk alloys, it was found that the θ precipitates can grow via the grain boundary “collector plate mechanism” at rates far greater than allowed by volume diffusion. In a thin film, however, one might expect that the growth rate of a θ precipitate might be altered by interfacial diffusion. In this work, we report on the growth (lengthening) kinetics of the θ-phase in Al-Cu thin films as examined by in-situ isothermal aging in transmission electron microscopy (TEM).


Author(s):  
G. A. Bertero ◽  
W.H. Hofmeister ◽  
N.D. Evans ◽  
J.E. Wittig ◽  
R.J. Bayuzick

Rapid solidification of Ni-Nb alloys promotes the formation of amorphous structure. Preliminary results indicate promising elastic properties and high fracture strength for the metallic glass. Knowledge of the thermal stability of the amorphus alloy and the changes in properties with temperature is therefore of prime importance. In this work rapidly solidified Ni-Nb alloys were analyzed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) during in-situ heating experiments and after isothermal annealing of bulk samples. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were also used to characterize both the solidification and devitrification sequences.Samples of Ni-44 at.% Nb were electromagnetically levitated, melted, and rapidly solidified by splatquenching between two copper chill plates. The resulting samples were 100 to 200 μm thick discs of 2 to 3 cm diameter. TEM specimens were either ion-milled or alternatively electropolished in a methanol-10% sulphuric acid solution at 20 V and −40°C.


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