The crystallization of bulk amorphous SiO2 samples, prepared by the sol-gel method, was obtained by heat treatments in air at temperatures as low as 500 °C. This occurs when silver is added to the precursor solutions in an amount such that it forms aggregates embedded in the glass. Another requirement to observe the low-temperature glass crystallization is that the bulk samples must be prepared from precursor solutions with specific compositions. These compositions, have a high H2O/TEOS ratio, which produces an amorphous SiO2 structure with some structural similarities to cristobalite, the phase in which the SiO2 glass crystallizes.

Epitaxial Srn+1TinO3n+1 thin films with n = 1–5 were synthesized on (001) SrTiO3 substrates by reactive molecular beam epitaxy. The structure and microstructure of the films were investigated by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microbeam diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) in combination with computer image simulations. Both diffraction and HRTEM studies revealed that all the films are epitaxially oriented with their c axis perpendicular to the (001) SrTiO3 plane of the substrate. Detailed investigations using quantitative HRTEM methods indicated that the films have the expected n = 1–5 structures of the Ruddlesden–Popper Srn+1TinO3n+1 homologous series. Among these films, Sr2TiO4, Sr3Ti2O7, and Sr4Ti3O10 thin films are nearly free of intergrowths, while Sr5Ti4O13 and Sr6Ti5O16 thin films contain noticeably more antiphase boundaries in their perovskite sheets and intergrowth defects. We show that these results are consistent with what is known about the thermodynamics of Srn+1TinO3n+1 phases.

The manganate with nominal composition La1.5Ca1.5Mn2O7, which is regarded as a single-phase compound with layered perovskite structure in the literature, was prepared using a standard ceramic process. The structures and morphology of the manganate were investigated by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis. However, no direct evidence of layered Sr3Ti2O7-type structure was observed in TEM experiments; instead, we observed multiphase mixtures of an orthorhombically distorted perovskite phase as majority and cubic perovskite phase as minority, as well as a small amount of calcium oxide. The measured magnetic and transport properties of this manganate arise mainly from the presence of hole-doped multiphase perovskite manganates. These physical properties demonstrated again the correctness of our phase component analysis.

At very small layer spacings (< ∼2 nm) in Cu–Nb and Cu–Cr multilayers the Cu forms a metastable body-centered-cubic (bcc) structure and the films exhibit interesting mechanical properties. No information about the miscibility of bcc Cu in Nb or Cr is available and it is not known whether the films remain compositionally discrete. X-ray mapping in the analytical electron microscope has been used to study the compositional distributions in these films and show that they do remain discrete down to a layer spacing of 1.8 nm. A simple model for the experimentally measured distribution has been used to show that the expected analytical resolution has been achieved and that it should be possible to map layers with a spacing of 0.8 nm.

Phase formation characteristics of Sr0.7Bi2.4Ta2O9 (SBT) powder, synthesized via the sol-gel and pyrolysis processes, was investigated using the thermal analysis technique. The two exotherms, appearing in the differential thermal analysis (DTA) curve, were identified as crystallization of fluorite phase and transformation of fluorite to Aurivillius phase, respectively, using x-ray diffraction. Nonisothermal kinetic analysis of the DTA results shows activation energy values for the formation of fluorite and Aurivillius phases as 192 and 375 kJ/mol, respectively, and Avrami exponent values for each reaction as 0.91 and 0.96, respectively. The results of this investigation are presented and discussed in detail to understand the phase formation mechanism in the SBT system.

This article describes the preparation of gradient porosity thermoset polymers. The technique used is based on polymerizing a solution of cross-linkable dicyclopentadiene and 2-propanol. The forming polymer being insoluble in 2-propanol, phase separation occurs. Subsequent drying of the 2-propanol gives porosities up to 80%. An apparatus was built to produce a gradient in 2-propanol concentration in a flask, resulting in polymerized gradient porosity rods. The resulting materials have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and density measurements. A mathematical model which allows prediction of the gradient produced is also presented.

Modification of Pb0.5Ca0.5[(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.5Ti0.5]O3 dielectric ceramics was performed by up to 20 mol% La substitution for Pb and Ca. The temperature coefficient of dielectric constant was significantly reduced by the present approach, while an increased Qf factor was achieved. Good microwave dielectric properties were obtained in a composition Pb0.425Ca0.425La0.1[(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.5Ti0.5]O3: ε = 125; Qf = 3150 GHz; calculated temperature coefficient of resonant frequency δf = +253 ppm/°C.

The crystallization and dielectric properties of SrO–BaO–Nb2O5–GeO2 glass–ceramics were investigated. One- and two-stage heat-treatment methods were used to convert the parent glass to glass–ceramics. Strontium barium niobate (SBN) with a tetragonal tungsten-bronze structure formed as the major crystalline phase. When the crystallizing temperature/time was increased, the secondary crystalline BaGe2O5 phase coexisted with SBN. BaGe2O5 formed as a surface layer grown from the surface into the interior of the sample. The dendritic morphology of SBN crystals was examined. The glass–ceramics crystallized by two-stage heat treatment have higher dielectric constants than those crystallized by one-stage heat treatment. The highest dielectric constant that was obtained in the present glass–ceramics was 320. The glass–ceramics showed relaxor-type dielectric behavior.

Al–Ti multilayered films (12 at.% Ti) with bilayer period of 16 nm were deposited by magnetron sputtering. The films were annealed in vacuum at 350 or 400 °C between 2 and 24 h. During annealing, a diffusion-controlled chemical reaction between Al and Ti layers led to Al3Ti precipitation. Differential thermal analysis studies showed an exothermic reaction associated with Al3Ti formation, taking place between 320 and 390 °C, depending on the heating rate. The evolution of microstructure with annealing was examined with transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The hardness and residual stress of the films in the as-deposited and annealed conditions were studied in relation to the microstructural changes on annealing.

Oriented GaN and LixGa(2−x)O2xN2(1−x) thin films were found to grow on LiGaO2 single-crystal (001) substrates via a reaction between ammonia (or reactive ammonia species) and substrate components at temperatures between 700 and 1000 °C. The compound LixGa(2−x)O2xN2(1−x), where x was determined to be ≈0.35, is a solid solution formed from a partial reaction of ammonia with the LiGaO2 substrate. Negligible lithium (i.e., x ≈ ≈ 0) was detected in the films formed with a constant high flow rate (164 cm3/min) of ammonia, indicating a complete reaction with the LiGaO2 single crystal. The growth of a partial surface film and surface pitting suggests a vapor reaction (via loss of LiNH2 or LiOH, and nitridation of Ga2O) similar to that observed when semiconductor grade reacts with N2 to form Si3N4. The resultant films have either a wurtzite structure or one approaching the wurtzite structure. Both films form on the substrate with the same orientation as the LiGaO2.

A study of the mechanisms of CsLiB6O10 (CLBO) crystal performance degradation during harmonic generation in the ultraviolet (UV) region was performed. The degradation rate of transmissivity during irradiation with the fourth harmonic light of an Nd3+ doped YLiF4 laser (4.7 eV) was linearly proportional to the concentration of hydroxyl (OH) groups in the CLBO crystal. In this study, the formation of OH groups was recognized by infrared absorption spectroscopy, and a method for determination of OH groups was proposed. The concentration of OH groups in the CLBO was linearly proportional to water vapor pressure and the CLBO containing OH groups absorbed UV light. We propose that one of the main mechanisms of surface degradation is the generation and growth of the mutants and that these mutants are generated by a UV photon-assisted reaction via OH group formation associated with absorbing water molecules into CLBO crystal.

A new experimental technique is presented for making measurements of biaxial residual stress using load and depth sensing indentation (nanoindentation). The technique is based on spherical indentation, which, in certain deformation regimes, can be much more sensitive to residual stress than indentation with sharp pyramidal indenters like the Berkovich. Two different methods of analysis were developed: one requiring an independent measure of the material's yield strength and the other a reference specimen in the unstressed state or other known reference condition. Experiments conducted on aluminum alloys to which controlled biaxial bending stresses were applied showed that the methods are capable of measuring the residual stress to within 10–20% of the specimen yield stress. Because the methods do not require imaging of the hardness impressions, they are potentially useful for making localized measurements of residual stress, as in thin films or small volumes, or for characterization of point-to-point spatial variations of the surface stress.

The present study of rapidly solidified melt-spun Al80Fe14Si6 Al80V14Si6, and Al80Fe10V4Si6 alloys by electron microscopy techniques, x-ray diffractometry, and differential scanning calorimetry leads to a number of microstructural results. Coexistence of a micro-quasicrystalline state of an icosahedral phase with monoclinic θ–Al13Fe4 and hexagonal β–Al6V in Al–Fe–Si and Al–V–Si alloys, respectively, is reported. Also, the growth morphology of the icosahedral phase surrounded by a crystalline ring was investigated in an Al–Fe–V–Si alloy. The crystalline ring has the particles of the cubic α–Al12(Fe,V)3Si silicide phase. Evidence of irrational twinning of cubic crystals, giving rise to a symmetry not deviating much from icosahedral symmetry was found in this alloy. In all the three alloys crystalline intermetallics were elucidated in the context of rational approximants of an icosahedral quasicrystal. It was noticed that while the icosahedral phase in Al–Fe–Si and Al–V–Si alloys transforms to crystalline intermetallics at about the same temperature (approximately 610 K), the transformation of icosahedral phase in Al–Fe–V–Si alloy occurred at a relatively lower temperature (540 K). The origin of different metastable microstructures and their stability at elevated temperatures, in these alloys, are compared and discussed.

ZnO:Al (ZAO) films were deposited on fused silica substrates heated to 350 °C by dc magnetron reactive sputtering from a Zn target mixed with 1.5 wt% Al. Films deposited on a substrate heated to a temperature between room temperature and 300 °C were (001)-oriented crystals, but those grown at 350 °C consisted of crystallites with (001) and (101) orientations. The dependence of electrical properties such as resistivity, carrier concentration, and Hall mobility on temperature was measured. The results indicate that the carrier concentration and Hall mobility increase with increasing temperature up to 250 °C, though the Al content remains unchanged in this temperature range. The probable mechanisms are discussed. The minimum resistivity of ZAO films is 4.23 × 10−4 Ω cm, with a carrier concentration of 9.21 × 1020 cm−3 and a Hall mobility of 16.0 cm2 v−1 s−1. The films show a visible transmittance of above 80%.

Electromigration rates in polycrystalline interconnect lines are controlled by grain-boundary diffusion. As such, reliability of such interconnects is a direct function of the grain-boundary character distribution in the lines. In the present work, drift velocity experiments were performed on multicrystalline lines of pure Al to determine the electromigration activation energy of the lines. Lines cut from films processed by partially ionized beam deposition techniques were analyzed. One set of lines was analyzed in the as-deposited condition while the other film was annealed before testing. The measured drift velocities varied dramatically between these two types of films, as did the grain-boundary character distributions measured by orientation imaging. The data were analyzed based on Borisov's equation to obtain mean grain-boundary energies. Grain-boundary energy of the film with poor electromigration performance was calculated to be that reported for random boundaries, while that for the more reliable film was calculated to be that reported for twin boundaries in Al. Percolation theory was used to aid explanation of the results based upon the fraction and connectedness of special boundaries in the films.

We developed p-type μc-silicon carbon alloy thin films by the very high frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique using a SiH4, H2, CH4, and B2H6 gas mixture at low power (55 mW/cm2) and low substrate temperatures (150–250 °C). Effects of substrate temperature and plasma excitation frequency on the optoelectronic and structural properties of the films were studied. A film with conductivity 5.75 Scm−1 and 1.93 eV optical gap (E04) was obtained at a low substrate temperature of 200 °C using 63.75 MHz plasma frequency. The crystalline volume fractions of the films were estimated from the Raman spectra. We observed that crystallinity in silicon carbon alloy films depends critically on plasma excitation frequency. When higher power (117 mW/cm2) at 180 °C with 66 MHz frequency was applied, the deposition rate of the film increased to 50.7 Å/min without any significant change in optoelectronic properties.

The topological transformation of grains in three-dimensional normal grain growth was analyzed by Brakke's Surface Evolver method that simulated the boundary motion by curvature. The statistics on elemental processes, which change the number of faces f of a grain, were determined from the simulation. The distribution function of the number of faces P( f ) in a steady structure could be predicted from the difference in the current of grains arriving at and leaving from state f. For the disappearance of one grain, face-creation switching occurred 3.7 times and face-elimination switching occurred 13.2 times on the average.

Sol-gel hybrid glass films doped with benzildimethylketal (BDK) were prepared from [(methacryloxy)propyl]trimethoxysilane, methacrylic acid, and zirconium n-propoxide. Polymerization of methacryl groups and polycondensation of alkoxides by UV illumination and baking were observed using Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy. Polymerization kinetics and refractive index increase depend on UV illumination time. The refractive index increase is sensitive to BDK concentration and agrees well with photodecomposition of BDK. Thus, it is found that the refractive index increase is made by incorporation of the radicals produced by photodecomposition of BDK in the network as well as polymerization of methacryl groups.

The present work is concerned with the methods of simulation of data obtained from depth-sensing submicron indentation testing. Details of analysis methods for both spherical and Berkovich indenters using multiple or single unload points are presented followed by a detailed treatment of a method for simulating an experimental load–displacement response where the material properties such as elastic modulus and hardness are given as inputs. A comparison between simulated and experimental data is given.

The objective of the present article is to study the influence of TiB2 addition on the transformation behavior of yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP). A range of TZP(Y)–TiB2 composites with different zirconia starting powder grades and TiB2 phase contents (up to 50 vol%) were processed by the hot-pressing route. Thermal expansion data, as obtained by thermo-mechanical analysis were used to assess the ZrO2 phase transformation in the composites. The thermal expansion hysteresis of the transformable ceramics provides information concerning the transformation behavior in the temperature range of the martensitic transformation and the low-temperature degradation. Furthermore, the transformation behavior and susceptibility to low-temperature degradation during thermal cycling were characterized in terms of the overall amount and distribution of the yttria stabilizer, zirconia grain size, possible dissolution of TiB2 phase, and the amount of residual stress generated in the Y-TZP matrix due to the addition of titanium diboride particles. For the first time, it is demonstrated in the present work that the thermally induced phase transformation of tetragonal zirconia in the Y-TZP composites can be controlled by the intentional addition of the monoclinic zirconia particles into the 3Y-TZP matrix.