Giant “pop-in” displacements are observed in crystalline silicon and germanium during high-load nanoindentation with a spherical diamond tip. These events are consistent with material removal triggered by lateral cracking during loading, which poses a hazard to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) operation. We examine the scaling of the pop-in displacements as a function of peak indentation load and demonstrate a correlation with the depth of the plastic contact zone. We argue that giant pop-ins may occur in a broad range of highly brittle materials.

The electric-pulse–induced resistance switching of the Ag–La0.7Ca03MnO3(LCMO)–Pt heterostructures was studied. The multilevel resistance switching (MLRS), in which several resistance states can be obtained, was observed in the switching from high to low resistance state (HRS → LRS) by applying electric pulse with various pulse voltages. The threshold pulse voltages of MLRS are related to the initial resistance values as well as the switching directions. On the other hand, the resistance switching behavior from low to high resistance states (LRS → HRS) shows unobvious MLRS. According to the resistance switching behavior in serial and parallel modes, MLRS was explained by the parallel effect of multifilament forming/rupture in the Ag–LCMO interface layer. The present results suggest a possible application of Ag–LCMO–Pt heterostructures as multilevel memory devices.

The ultrafast dynamic reflectivity of vanadium pentoxide is measured using 40 fs pulses from a self-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. The laser pulses excite acoustic vibrations at wave numbers of 145 and 103 cm−1. The amplitudes of the induced oscillations depend strongly on the orientation between the linear polarization of the laser pulses and the crystal axes, with the largest oscillations observed for an orientation of 45°. The higher-frequency oscillation is induced immediately upon arrival of the laser pulse, while the lower-frequency oscillation appears a few picoseconds later. The oscillations persist for approximately 10 ps after the arrival of the pulse. The oscillations are attributed to transverse acoustic modes propagating along the a-axis of the crystal.

Magnesium alloys are potential biodegradable biomaterials in hard tissue implants. However, the fast degradation rate in the biological environment has hampered widespread applications. We propose to use a ZrO2 coating in conjunction with a Zr transition layer to improve the corrosion resistance of AZ91 magnesium alloy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy discloses that the coating is composed of ZrO2. The Vickers hardness measurement demonstrates that the surface hardness of the alloy is significantly enhanced. The electrochemical behavior of the coated sample is systematically evaluated by means of potentiodynamic polarization, open-circuit potential evolution, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical results indicate that the corrosion resistance of the coated alloy is enhanced significantly, and the electrode-controlled processes in a coated alloy–solution system are discussed.

Tungsten (W) fiber reinforced Zr47Ti13Cu11Ni10Be16Nb3 bulk metallic glass composite has been prepared by melt infiltration casting. Interfacial characteristics of the composite were analyzed by sessile drop technique, x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe x-ray microanalysis (EPMA), and nanoindenter. Results indicate that Zr47Ti13Cu11Ni10Be16Nb3 melt wets the W substrate, and the interfacial bond composed of a diffusion–dissolution layer between Zr47Ti13Cu11Ni10Be16Nb3 matrix and W fiber is in good condition. Due to these excellent interfacial characteristics, the mechanical properties of the composite are considerably enhanced with increasing volume fraction of W fiber. It was found that the compressive strength of 70% volume fraction of W fiber composite is 2.6 GPa, which is 58% higher than the value exhibited by the unreinforced matrix. At the same time, the reinforced matrix exhibits 13% plastic deformation when tested under quasi-static compression conditions. Instead of shear mode seen for the unreinforced matrix, the failure mode of the 70% volume fraction W fiber composite is mainly caused by fiber splitting and buckling. Also, the W fiber hinders localized shear bands from propagating and gives rise to multiple shear bands, which results in the enhancement of the compressive strength and plastic deformation.

An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to characterize the deformation behavior of amorphous Si (a-Si) nanostructures subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading. The sample geometry was specially designed (in the form of elbow) using finite element modeling for the purpose of these tests, and the samples were grown by glancing angle deposition. When deformed monotonically at room temperature, the a-Si specimens exhibited a nonlinear force–displacement response at forces larger than a critical force, a phenomenon not observed in bulk silicon. A fatigue testing methodology based on the use of the AFM was established. The fatigue life of the a-Si specimens was observed to increase by five orders of magnitude with a 50% reduction in the applied force amplitude. It was verified that this delayed failure is caused by progressive damage accumulation during cyclic loading. These results are compared with literature data obtained from micron-size specimens.

Hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of metal hydrides are of great interest because of their potential in on-board applications for hydrogen vehicles. This paper aims to study hydrogen diffusion in metal hydrides, which is generally considered to be a controlling factor of hydrogenation/dehydrogenation. The present work first calculated temperature-dependent hydrogen diffusion coefficients by a theoretical model incorporated with experimental data in a Mg-based system and accordingly the activation energy. The grain size effect on diffusion in nanoscale was also investigated.

NiCrAlY coatings with and without CrN or CrON interlayer as diffusion barrier were deposited on superalloy DSM11 by arc ion plating (AIP). The oxidation performance of the coating systems was evaluated by isothermal oxidation tests at 1100 °C for 100 h. The element interdiffusion and oxidation behavior of the coating systems were described. It was found that the NiCrAlY coatings provided protective effect for the DSM11 substrate. However, serious interdiffusion between the coatings and substrate resulted in rapid degradation of the coatings. The addition of CrN or CrON interlayer between the coatings and substrate markedly decreased the interdiffusion. CrON interlayer performed better than CrN interlayer, which was attributed to the excellent diffusion barrier ability of Al2O3 layer formed in the interlayer at high temperature. Also, the NiCrAlY/CrON coating system exhibited more effective protection for DSM11 than the NiCrAlY/CrN coating system.

Oxygen diffusivities in mullite/zirconia composites were measured by 18O/16O isotope exchange and secondary ion mass spectrometry. They exhibited a wide range of values from 10−21 to 10−10 m2/s at temperatures between 1000 and 1350 °C in the composites with 0 to 80 vol% zirconia. At a fixed temperature, oxygen diffusivities in high-zirconia composites were larger by at least eight orders of magnitude than those in low-zirconia composites. The percolation threshold occurred between 30 and 40 vol% zirconia, where oxygen diffusivities dramatically changed. There was a clear tendency of the activation energies of oxygen diffusion in composites to decrease with increasing zirconia contents. The large oxygen diffusivities in the high-zirconia composites were attributed to the interconnected channels of zirconia from the microstructural aspect.

The isothermal oxidation behavior of Zr2Al3C4 in the temperature range of 500 to 1000 °C for 20 h in air has been investigated. The oxidation kinetics follow a parabolic law at 600 to 800 °C and a linear law at higher temperatures. The activation energy is determined to be 167.4 and 201.2 kJ/mol at parabolic and linear stages, respectively. The oxide scales have a monolayer structure, which is a mixture of ZrO2 and Al2O3. As indicated by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectra, the scales formed at 500 to 700 °C are amorphous, and at higher temperatures are α-Al2O3 and t-ZrO2 nanocrystallites. The nonselective oxidation of Zr2Al3C4 can be attributed to the strong coupling between Al3C2 units and ZrC blocks in its structure, and the close oxygen affinity of Zr and Al.

Exothermic reactions in cold-rolled Ni/Al reactive multilayer foils were investigated in this study. A two-stage reaction process was observed in the self-propagating reactions in the cold-rolled foils that were ignited by a point-source flame. Foils taken out of the flame after completing the first stage of the reaction process were compared to those allowed to complete both stages. Differences in the phase-evolution sequence from the two types of foils were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), using slow and controlled heating of the samples. Several exothermic peaks could be identified from the DSC thermograms for both types of foils. Using the DSC, both the as-cold-rolled and partially reacted foils were heated to each peak temperature to identify the reaction product associated with each peak. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed that the first two peaks corresponded to the formation of Al3Ni, while the third peak corresponded to the formation of AlNi.

Uniaxial tensile tests were performed on Cu/Nb multilayered foils to investigate yield strength and grain boundary strengthening in the layered foils at room temperature and in fine-grained Nb at 600 °C. At room temperature, yielding in Cu/Nb multilayered foils is controlled by deformation in both layers, and grain boundary strengthening is observed with a Hall–Petch slope (kRT) of 198 ± 56 MPa·μm1/2 at a strain rate of 10−4 s−1. At 600 °C, yielding in Cu/Nb multilayered foils is controlled by deformation in just the Nb layers. Hall–Petch strengthening is observed over a range of strain rates, but the Hall–Petch slope decreases from 197 ± 71 MPa·μm1/2 for a strain rate of 10−4 s−1 to only 25 ± 40 MPa·μm1/2 for a strain rate of 10−6 s−1. The significant drop in the Hall–Petch slope for Nb with decreasing strain rate indicates a change in the controlling deformation mechanism from dislocation glide to dislocation creep.

In situ scanning electron microscope observations have been performed on passivated damascene Cu interconnect segments of different widths during accelerated electromigration tests. In some cases, voids form and grow at the cathode. However, an alternative failure mode is also observed, during which voids form distant from the cathode end of the interconnect segment and drift toward the cathode, where they eventually lead to failure. The number of observations of this failure mode increased with increasing linewidth. During void motion, the shape and the velocity of the drifting voids varied significantly. Postmortem electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis was performed after in situ testing, and a correlation of EBSD data with the in situ observations reveals that locations at which voids form, their shape evolution, and their motion all strongly depend on the locations of grain boundaries and the crystallographic orientations of neighboring grains.

Glass-forming ability (GFA) in relation to microstructure evolution in the ternary Fe–Nb–B and Fe–Zr–B and quaternary Fe–(Nb,Zr)–B systems was systematically studied in a three-dimensional composition space. Through navigating, it was revealed that alloys with the optimum glass-forming ability (GFA) are coupled with composition regions surrounded by competing crystalline phases. Alloys Fe71Nb6B23, Fe77Zr4B19, and Fe71(Nb0.8Zr0.2)6B23 were illustrated to be the best glass formers in the ternary Fe–Nb–B and Fe–Zr–B systems and the quaternary Fe–(Nb,Zr)–B system, respectively, with a critical size for amorphous formation up to 2 mm. They were compared with the theoretical predictions on the basis of an efficient dense-packing model, and good agreements were obtained.

Crystalline tungsten suboxide nanowires were grown on silicon substrates by thermal evaporation of tungsten powder in a flow of argon gas without any catalyst. With different growth temperatures, two kinds of tungsten suboxide nanowires (W18O49 and W20O58) were obtained. The structures, morphologies, and compositions of these two nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), x-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman techniques. The results show that XRD and TEM are not good characterization techniques for identifying W18O49 and W20O58 nanowires; however, Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a powerful tool to distinguish the difference between them. This is due to the notable molecular bond contributing to the vibrational frequency.

We have fabricated a class of colloidal electrorheological (ER) fluids, in which suspended TiO2 particles were synthesized by a sol-gel method and modified by 1,4-butyrolactone molecules with a permanent molecular dipole moment of 4.524 D. Compared with pure TiO2 ER fluids, the quasi-static yield stress of the polar- molecules-modified ER fluid is enhanced as high as 48.1 kPa when subjected to an external electric field of 5 kV/mm. Also, it possesses other attractive characters such as low current density (<14 μA/cm2) and low sedimentation. Based on a Green’s function method, we present a first-principles approach to investigate colloidal electrostatic interactions. Excellent agreement between experiment and theory has been shown for the enhancement ratio of quasi-static yield stress, which quantitatively reveals that enough polar molecules oriented within the field-directed gap between the colloidal particles can unexpectedly enhance the interactions, thus yielding the unusual enhancement. This shows a promising and flexible direction for achieving more highly active ER materials.

The kinetics and microstructure of solid-phase crystallization under continuous heating conditions and random distribution of nuclei are analyzed. An Arrhenius temperature dependence is assumed for both nucleation and growth rates. Under these circumstances, the system has a scaling law such that the behavior of the scaled system is independent of the heating rate. Hence, the kinetics and microstructure obtained at different heating rates differ only in time and length scaling factors. Concerning the kinetics, it is shown that the extended volume evolves with time according to αex = [exp(κCt′)]m+1, where t′ is the dimensionless time. This scaled solution not only represents a significant simplification of the system description, it also provides new tools for its analysis. For instance, it has been possible to find an analytical dependence of the final average grain size on kinetic parameters. Concerning the microstructure, the existence of a length scaling factor has allowed the grain-size distribution to be numerically calculated as a function of the kinetic parameters.

The desorption–recombination behavior of a mechanically disproportionated, nanostructured Nd12Fe82B6 alloy was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The microstructure change due to desorption–recombination treatments at various temperatures was characterized by x-ray diffraction, Mössbauer study, and transmission electron microscopy observation. The results show that the hydrogen desorption of the as-disproportionated alloy occurs in two stages: (i) the partial dehydriding of the Nd hydride from Nd2H5 to NdH2, as well as the desorption of the hydrogen absorbed/adsorbed at sites of crystal defects but not in the form of Nd hydride, at temperatures between 180 and 460 °C; and (ii) the complete dehydriding of the Nd hydride from NdH2 to Nd at temperatures between 630 and 780 °C. The recombination of α-Fe with Fe2B and Nd to form Nd2Fe14B occurs following the dehydriding of NdH2 to Nd, and it acts as the controlling step for the whole desorption–recombination process. The kinetics of both the desorption–recombination reaction and the growth of the newly formed Nd2Fe14B grains accelerate with increasing temperature. For a fixed annealing time of 30 min, the optimal processing temperature seems to be 760 °C, which gives rise to a fully recombined Nd2Fe14B–α-Fe nanocomposite microstructure with Nd2Fe14B and α-Fe phases of 25–30 nm in average size.

Three different strategies, wet impregnation, in situ reduction, and grafting with silane coupling agents, have been used to introduce CoNi nanoparticles with different existing forms into mesoporous silica. These composites were used as catalysts to grow nanostructured carbons by catalytic chemical vapor deposition using ethene. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different inner diameters can grow out of mesoporous silica particles incorporated with CoNi nanoclusters. Many fewer CNTs could be found in the pore channels of the sample prepared by using silane coupling agents than in those of the sample synthesized via wet impregnation. No CNTs formed in the pore channels of the sample prepared by in situ reduction. After the removal of silica, different carbon nanostructures have been obtained in the pore channels. Ordered graphite carbon mesostructure was obtained from the sample prepared by in situ reduction. Highly dispersed metal catalysts inside mesopore channels are favorable for the formation of graphite carbons with ordered mesostructures.

MgO thin films are widely used in plasma display panels (PDPs) to protect the dielectric layer, which is composed of PbO2, B2O3, and SiO2 compound, against ion bombardment during discharge. To improve the electrical properties of the MgO thin films, (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6, which has a lower work function than that of MgO, added to the MgO films. The effects of (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6 addition on the electrical properties, microstructure, and electronic band structure were investigated. In the case where (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 was added, the firing voltage, which is the voltage when the panel is ignited the first time during increasing input voltage, was about 18.4 V lower than that of the conventional MgO films. In the case where LaB6 was added, the firing voltage was also reduced by about 24 V. The luminance and luminous efficiency were also increased. Of particular interest was the valence band spectra changed after adding (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6. The valence band edge, which is the top of the valence band, was shifted to lower binding states and the width of the valence band was increased. Moreover, the band gap was slightly reduced. Considering the emission mechanism of MgO films in plasma display panels, these results mean that the secondary electrons can be ejected more easily and the ejected electrons have more energy. Therefore, the addition of (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6 might improve the electrical properties.