Hardness and elastic modulus of (111), (110), and (001) oriented Ni3Al single crystals were determined by nanoindenter measurements. Obvious elastic modulus anisotropy and hardness anisotropy were observed. The modulus for (001) was about 17% smaller than that for (111), (110). The hardness was found to be strongly dependent on the indentation size and exhibited a small anisotropy at low indentation loads. When the indentation load was increased further, the hardness anisotropy became apparent. The hardness for (111) was observed to be higher compared to (001). The indentation hardness size effect was examined by using strain gradient plasticity theory.

To improve the oxidation resistance of Si3N4 material, a dense and continuous layer, composed of small Y2Si2O7 crystallites and silicate glass, was formed on the surface. The surface layer was formed by exposing the specimens in a flowing H2 atmosphere containing 0.1% H2O at 1450 °C for 1 h. For the purpose of comparison, specimens of the same material were heat treated in air at 1450 °C for 1 h. Small equiaxed Y2Si2O7 crystallites were formed when the specimen was heat treated in the wet H2 atmosphere, while relatively large and elongated Y2Si2O7 crystallites developed when the specimens were heat treated in air. The oxidation resistance of Si3N4 material was improved remarkably by the heat treatment in the wet H2, while no improvement in oxidation resistance was observed from the specimen heat treated in air. The improvement was attributed to the retardation of the transport of oxidants through the dense and continuous layer formed on the surface.

The effects of heat treatment and sintering additives on the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of fine-grained SiC materials were investigated. The thermal conductivity and the electrical resistivity of dense SiC materials were measured at room temperature by a laser flash technique and a current-voltage method, respectively. The results indicated that the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of the SiC materials were dependent on the sintering additives and the resultant microstructure. Annealed materials with oxide additives developed microstructures consisting of elongated grains of various α/β–SiC polytypes. In contrast, annealed materials with oxynitride additives had microstructures consisting of fine equiaxed grains entirely of β–SiC phase. For the annealed materials with oxide additives the observed thermal conductivity was over 110 W/mK. For the annealed materials with oxynitride additives the observed value was 47 W/mK. The electrical resistivity of a hot-pressed material with oxide sintering additives decreased after annealing. For annealed materials with oxynitride additives, the electrical resistivity was even lower. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed a thin amorphous phase along the grain boundaries. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy results showed that there was segregation of both Al and O atoms and a very small amount of Y atoms at grain boundaries. The results indicated that the chemistry and structure of the grain boundary has significant influence on thermal and electrical properties in SiC.

A drastic change of the growth orientation in epitaxial Pt films grown by sputtering on MgO(001) was observed. At higher substrate temperatures, practically pure (001) epitaxial Pt films grow. On the other hand, epitaxial (111) Pt films grow at lower substrate temperatures. Interestingly, the gradual transition from (111) to (001) orientation occurs at lower temperatures when applied at a lower deposition rate. The degree of supersaturation in growth conditions is proposed as a key driver of the orientation change. When homogeneous nucleation occurs under a higher supersaturation, a large number of nuclei grow at the flat (001) terraces possessing (111) tetrahedral orientation. Under a lower supersaturation, a small number of nuclei aligned in (001) orientation to each other form dominantly at surface defects, resulting in a (001) epitaxial film with no grains. Our results suggest that one can selectively prepare either (001) or (111) epitaxial Pt films by properly adjusting substrate temperature and/or deposition rate.

We fabricated MgB2 tapes by a powder-in-tube method using sheath materials of Fe and carbon steel (CS). In the as-rolled state, the CS-sheathed tapes showed higher transport critical current density (Jc) values than the Fe-sheathed tape did. This is due to the higher-density MgB2 layer associated with the high mechanical strength of the CS. Furthermore, heat treatment above 800 °C was very effective in increasing the Jc of these tapes. The heat-treated CS-sheathed tapes showed Jc values of 10 kA/cm2 at 4.2 K and 7.5 T and still above 2 kA/cm2 at 10 T. These values are the highest ever reported for MgB2 tapes. An extrapolation to 0 T in the Jc-B data gave about 1 MA/cm2, which was independent of the sheath materials. Microstructural observations suggest that the high Jc and the small field dependence of the Jc properties of the CS-sheathed tapes can be ascribed to the improved grain connectivity and grain alignment produced by the high mechanical strength of CS.

Superplastic deformation was realized on NiAl and NiAl-based alloys prepared by both common casting and directional solidification. Directionally solidified NiAl–27Fe–3Nb alloy as well as conventionally cast NiAl, NiAl–25Cr, NiAl–9Mo, NiAl–20Fe–Y.Ce, and NiAl–30Fe–Y alloys exhibited typical deformation characteristics shown in conventionally superplastic materials. NiAl and NiAl-based alloys could be divided into three categories depending on their different superplastic behavior: finely grained structure (NiAl–9Mo, NiAl–25Cr, NiAl–20.4Fe–Y.Ce, NiAl–30Fe–Y), coarsely grained structure (NiAl), and columnar structure (NiAl–27Fe–3Nb). The corresponding deformation mechanisms for fine-grained structure, coarsely grained structure, and columnar structure were grain boundary sliding or grain boundary sliding accompanied by dynamic recrystallization, dynamic recovery and recrystallization, and intragrain dislocation slip, respectively.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films were prepared on silicon wafers by spin coating. The tribological properties of the PDMS films sliding against AISI-52100 steel ball were investigated with a dynamic static friction coefficient measurement apparatus in a ball-on-plate configuration. It was found that crosslinking, end grafting, and chemical characteristics of the substrate surfaces combined to play an important role in keeping the films' stability and improving the friction-reduction and wear-resistant properties. It was also noted that crosslinked PDMS films on hydroxylated substrates exhibited the most stable friction coefficient and the longest antiwear life, while a friction coefficient below 0.01 was observed for the crosslinked PDMS films on hydrophobic substrates. The latter might be attributed to the weak interaction at the interface of PDMS layer and the self-assembled monolayer. The friction coefficient appeared to be velocity dependent. At higher sliding velocities, the films showed more stable and smaller friction coefficients; this might be attributed to the shear thinning effect.

The solution-precursor plasma spray (SPPS) method is a new process for depositing thick ceramic coatings, where solution feedstock (liquid) is injected into a plasma. This versatile method has several advantages over the conventional plasma spray method, and it can be used to deposit nanostructured, porous coatings of a wide variety of oxide and non-oxide ceramics for a myriad of possible applications. In an effort to understand the SPPS deposition process, key diagnostic and characterization experiments were performed on SPPS coatings in the Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) system. The results from these experiments show that there are multiple pathways to SPPS coating formation. The atomized precursor droplets undergo rapid evaporation and breakup in the plasma. This is followed by precipitation, gelation, pyrolysis, and sintering. The different types of particles reach the substrate and are bonded to the substrate or the coating by sintering in the heat of the plasma. The precursor also reaches the substrate or the coating. This precursor pyrolyzes in situ on the substrate, either after it reaches a “cold” substrate or upon contact on a “hot” substrate and helps bond the particles. The coating microstructure evolves during SPPS deposition as the coating temperature reaches approximately 770 °C.

TiO2 was deposited onto hard alumite (Al/Al2O3/TiO2) by alternating current electrolysis and precipitation in (NH4)2[TiO(C2O4)2] solution at various temperatures, where the hard alumite was prepared by the anodic oxidation of aluminum in sulfuric acid (Al/Al2O3). The TiO2 electrodeposition mainly occurred at temperatures lower than about 50 °C, while the TiO2 deposition due to TiO(C2O4)22− adsorption onto alumina predominantly occurred at temperatures higher than about 50 °C. The amount of deposited TiO2 increased with the increase in the deposition temperature, leading to high photocatalytic activity. The deposited TiO2 at 90 °C followed by heat-treatment at 550 °C had an anatase structure and showed a high photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of acetaldehyde even under fluorescent lamp illumination. The Al/Al2O3/TiO2 prepared at 50 °C was optimal for practical use, because of a relatively high activity and the sufficient adhesion strength between the TiO2 and the Al/Al2O3 substrate due to the presence of the deposited TiO2 in the pores of the alumina film.

The physical layering of sol-gel-derived lead zirconate titanate (PZT) 52/48 and lanthanum-doped PZT (PLZT) 2/52/48 on platinized silicon substrates was investigated to determine if the ferroelectric properties and fatigue resistance could be influenced by different layering sequences. Monolithic thin films of PZT and PLZT were characterized to determine their ferroelectric properties. Sandwich structures of Pt/PZT/PLZT/PLZT/PZT/Au and Pt/PLZT/PZT/PZT/PLZT/Au and alternating structures of Pt/PZT/PLZT/PZT/PLZT/Au and Pt/PLZT/PZT/PLZT/PZT/Au were then fabricated and characterized. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiles revealed that the layering sequence remained intact up to 700 °C for 45 min. It was found that the end layers in the multilayered films had a significant influence on the resulting hysteresis behavior and fatigue resistance. A direct correlation of ferroelectric properties and fatigue resistance can be made between the data obtained from the sandwiched structures and their end-layer monolithic thin film counterparts. Alternating structures also showed an improvement in the fatigue resistance while the polarization values remained between those for PZT and PLZT thin films.

The Pb-free Sn–Ag–Cu–Al solders were investigated for microstructural evolution with respect to Al% and heat treatment. The Al% varies from 0.1% to 0.45% while the contents of Ag are 3.1%–2.53% and of Cu are 0.41%–0.33%. Differential scanning colorimetry (DSC) was applied to identify the melting behavior. A monotectic temperature of 224 °C and a eutectic temperature of 220 °C are deduced from the DSC results. The microstructure was characterized with x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy. Ag3Sn and the γ2 phase of Al–Cu system are the intermetallic compounds formed in the as-cast solders. Cu6Sn5 formed upon heat treatment for 1000 h at 150 °C in the 0.45 Al-containing solder, while not found in the other solders or other heat treatment conditions. Sn whiskers were detected in a 0.45 Al-containing specimen after aging for 50 h.

Properties of copper films produced using atomic layer deposition (ALD) were characterized. Composition, morphology, and electrical properties of these films grown on glass, as well as Ta, TiN, and TaN on silicon wafers were examined. The resistivity of films thicker than about 60 nm was near bulk value. Films were deposited using a two-step ALD process in which copper(II)-1,1,1,5,5,5,-hexafluoroacetylacetonate hydrate and water vapor were introduced in the first step and a reducing agent was introduced in a subsequent step. Five reducing agents were evaluated, with the best results obtained using isopropanol or formalin. The optimum deposition temperature with isopropanol was about 260 °C, whereas it was about 300 °C with formalin. These films were also investigated as seed layers for electrodeposition of thicker Cu layers for possible interconnect applications. Excellent fills in high aspect ratio trenches were demonstrated.

Fiber textured Sr0.53Ba0.47Nb2O6 ceramics were reactively sintered to ≥95% of the theoretical density from a mixture of SrNb2O6 and BaNb2O6 powders. Texture in 〈001〉 was obtained by templated grain growth on 〈001〉-oriented acicular KSr2Nb5O15 template particles. The most highly textured ceramics had a peak dielectric constant of 23,600 (at Tc = 128 °C), a remanent polarization (Pr) of 20.3 µC/cm2, a saturation polarization (Psat) of 24 µC/cm2 (69–96% of single crystal), and a piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) of 84 pC/N (76–93% of single crystal). A model, correlating polarization with grain orientation, predicts that Pr increases sharply when a percolating grain network forms to transfer charge between elongated grains.

The continuous hydrothermal synthesis of nanoparticles of two metal oxides (α–Fe2O3 and Co3O4) is described. Two variations of the technique were investigated, involving the precipitation reaction between a metal salt solution and a hydroxide solution at ambient conditions and at elevated temperatures. Elevated temperatures resulted in more uniform particles of α–Fe2O3 and Co3O4, although the actual sizes of the particles were apparently unaffected by the temperature. This behavior was attributed to the species present in solution and the solubilities of the cation(s), both of which were calculated via a thermodynamic model for the systems under study.

From synchrotron x-ray scattering measurements, it was found that epitaxially grown SnO2 film on sapphire has a variant structure with threefold symmetry with respect to the substrate and that the ultrathin interfacial layer is formed due to the lattice mismatch between SnO2 and Al2O3. The physical properties of the top surface, such as surface morphology, height profile, and roughness, were determined by atomic force microscopy. The height profiles of the film grown at 600 °C and room temperature revealed the asymmetrical and the ordinary symmetric Gaussian distributions, respectively. The difference originates from the dominant diffusion process at high substrate temperature.

Silver nanoparticles were incorporated in a dispersion of micron-sized silver spheres for testing as a low-temperature reactive component to form conductive particle networks. The development of conductivity depended on the arrangement of the micron-sized particle network, the amount of material reacted to form necks at the points of contact of micron-sized particles, and sintering of the particle network. Nanoparticles reacted to bond the micron-sized particles, but the stress issues involved in nanoparticle sintering can cause macroscopic cracking. Critical processing variables include the state of particle dispersion, the heating rate, and the fraction of nano-sized material.

During plastic deformation, dislocation boundaries are formed and orientation differences across them arise. Two different causes lead to the formation of two kinds of deformation-induced boundaries: a statistical trapping of dislocations in incidental dislocation boundaries and a difference in the activation of slip systems on both sides of geometrically necessary boundaries. On the basis of these mechanisms, the occurrence of disorientations across both types of dislocation boundaries is modeled by dislocation dynamics. The resulting evolution of the disorientation angles with strain is in good agreement with experimental observations. The theoretically obtained distribution functions for the disorientation angles describe the experimental findings well and explain their scaling behavior. The model also predicts correlations between disorientations in neighboring boundaries, and evidence for their existence is presented.

The effect of the irradiation of electrons with 10–70 keV on optical properties, including spectral reflectance ρ and solar absorptance as, of aluminized polyimide films was investigated. The spectral reflectance was measured in situ before and after electron exposure. Experimental results showed that the reflective properties of aluminized polyimide film were apparently degraded in the 500–1200 nm wavelength range of the solar spectrum. Under the exposure of electrons, no charging effects were found on the aluminized polyimide film serving as an ion-conductive polymer. After the exposure, an “annealing” or “bleaching” effect occurred. At a given irradiation fluence, the change in solar absorptance (Δas) of the aluminized polyimide film was increased with electron energy. There is a threshold value of electron flux φcr which affects the change in Δas of the aluminized polyimide film, approximately φcr = 6 × 1012 electrons/cm2s. When φ < φcr, the change in Δas is independent from the flux; when φ > φcr, Δas increases with the flux monotonically. The change in Δas with electron fluence Φ can be expressed in the form of a power function: Δas = αΦβ. The factors α and β are related to electron energy and show a maximum and a minimum value at 50 keV, respectively.

A single phase of glassy Co75Ti25 alloy powders was synthesized by high-energy ball milling the elemental powders at room temperature, using the mechanical alloying method. The final product of the glassy alloy, which is obtained after ball milling for 86 ks, exhibits soft magnetic properties with polarization and coercivity values of 0.67 T and 2.98 kA/m, respectively. This binary glassy alloy, in which its glass transition temperature (Tg) lies at a rather high temperature (833 K), transforms into face-centered-cubic Co3Ti (ordered phase) at 889 K through a single sharp exothermic reaction with an enthalpy change of crystallization (ΔHx) of −2.35 kJ/mol. The supercooled liquid region before crystallization ΔTx of the synthesized glassy powders shows an extraordinary high value (56 K) for a metallic binary system. The reduced glass transition temperature [ratio between Tg and liquidus temperatures, Tl (Tg/Tl)] was 0.56. We also demonstrated postannealing experiments of the mechanically deformed Co/Ti multilayered composite powders. The results show that annealing of the powders at 710 K leads to the formation of a glassy phase (thermally enhanced glass formation reaction). Its heat formation was measured directly and found to be −0.56 kJ/mol. The similarity in the crystallization and magnetization behaviors between the two classes of as-annealed and as-mechanically alloyed glassy powders implies the formation of the same glassy phase.

A simple and novel method was developed for efficient synthesis of aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in methanol and ethanol under normal pressure. The CNTs' alignment and structures were investigated using Raman scattering and x-ray diffraction spectroscopy. A unique kind of coupled CNT was synthesized in which one rotated to the left and one rotated to the right. Chains periodically bridged the coupled CNTs. The growth mechanism of the CNTs within organic liquid is proposed to be a catalytic process at the Fe film surface in a dynamic and thermal nonequilibrium condition in organic liquids.