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At least 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Functionalized Polymer Thin Films for Plutonium Capture and Isotopic Screening from Aqueous Sources

The rapid screening of plutonium from aqueous sources remains a critical challenge for nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The determination of trace-level Pu isotopes in water requires offsite sample preparation and analysis; therefore, new methods that combine plutonium purification, concentration, and isotopic screening in a fieldable detection system will provide an invaluable tool for nuclear safeguards. This contribution describes the development and characterization of thin polymer-ligand films for the isolation and concentration of waterborne Pu for direct spectroscopic analyses. Submicron thin films were prepared through spin coating onto Si wafers and consisted of combinations of polystyrene (PS) with dibenzoylmethane, thenoyltrifluoroacetone, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP). Pu uptake studies from solutions at pH from 2.3 to 6.3 indicated that only films containing HDEHP exhibited significant recovery of Pu. High alpha spectroscopy peak energy resolutions were achieved for PS-HDEHP films over a range of film thicknesses from 30 to 250 nm. Furthermore, a separate study was performed to evaluate uptake from a primarily Pu(V) solution where it was observed that doubling the HDEHP loading in the film increased uptake of Pu by an order of magnitude. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed that HDEHP was highly concentrated within the first few nanometers of the film at the higher loading. XPS analysis also revealed that, in the presence of water, HDEHP was stripped from the surface layer of the film at circumneutral pH. While significant losses of ligand were seen in all samples, higher loadings of HDEHP resulted in measurable amounts of ligand retained after a 12-h soak in water. Findings of this study are being used to guide the development of thin-film composite membrane-based detection methods for the rapid, fieldable analysis of Pu in water.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dislocation-Assisted Quasi-Two-Dimensional Semiconducting Nanochannels Embedded in Perovskite Thin Films

Defect engineering in perovskite thin films has attracted extensive attention recently due to the films’ atomic-scale modification, allowing for remarkable flexibility to design novel nanostructures for next generation nanodevices. However, the defect-assisted three-dimensional nanostructures in thin film matrices usually has large misfit strain and thus causes unstable thin film structures. In contrast, defect-assisted one- or two-dimensional nanostructures embedded in thin films can sustain large misfit strains without relaxation, which make them suitable for defect engineering in perovskite thin films. Here, we reported the fabrication and characterization of edge-type misfit dislocation-assisted two-dimensional BiMnO x nanochannels embedded in SrTiO 3 /La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /TbScO 3 perovskite thin films. The nanochannels are epitaxially grown from the surrounding films without noticeable misfit strain. Diode-like current rectification was spatially observed at nanochannels due to the formation of Schottky junctions between BiMnO x nanochannels and conducting La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 thin films. Such atomically scaled heterostructures constitute more flexible ultimate functional units for nanoscale electronic devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Engineering the Microstructure and Morphology of Explosive Films via Control of Interfacial Energy

Physical vapor deposition of organic explosives enables growth of polycrystalline films with a unique microstructure and morphology compared to the bulk material. This study demonstrates the ability to control crystal orientation and porosity in pentaerythritol tetranitrate films by varying the interfacial energy between the substrate and the vapor-deposited explosive. Additionally, variation in density, porosity, surface roughness, and optical properties is achieved in the explosive film, with significant implications for initiation sensitivity and detonation performance of the explosive material. Various surface science techniques, including angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and multiliquid contact angle analysis, are utilized to characterize interfacial characteristics between the substrate and explosive film. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of pentaerythritol tetranitrate surfaces and fracture cross sections illustrate the difference in morphology evolution and the microstructure achieved through surface energy modification. X-ray diffraction studies with the Tilt-A-Whirl three-dimensional pole figure rendering and texture analysis software suite reveal that high surface energy substrates result in a preferred (110) out-of-plane orientation of pentaerythritol tetranitrate crystallites and denser films. Low surface energy substrates create more randomly textured pentaerythritol tetranitrate and lead to nanoscale porosity and lower density films. This work furthers the scientific basis for interfacial engineering of polycrystalline organic explosive films through control of surface energy, enabling future study of dynamic and reactive detonative phenomena at the microscale. Results of this study also have potential applications to active pharmaceutical ingredients, stimuli-responsive polymer films, organic thin film transistors, and other areas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Tuning the Optical Properties of Mesoporous TiO2 Films by Nanoscale Engineering

Introducing mesoscale pores into spincoated titanium dioxide films, prepared by spincoating different sol-gel precursor solutions on silicon substrates and subsequent annealing at 350 C, 400 C or 450 C, respectively, affects several optical properties of the material. The change in refractive index observed for different mesoporous anatase films directly correlates with changes in pore size, but is also in a more complex manner influenced by the film thickness and the density of pores within the films. Additionally, the band gap of the films is blueshifted by the stress the introduction of pores exerts on the inorganic matrix. The differently sized pores were templated by Pluronic{reg_sign} block copolymers in the solgel solutions and tuned by employing different annealing temperatures for the film preparation. This study focused on elucidating the effect different templating materials (F127 and P123) have on the pore size of the final mesoporous titania film, and on understanding the relation of varying polymer concentration (taking P123 as an example) in the sol-gel solution to the pore concentration and size in the resultant titania film. Titania thin film samples or corresponding titanium dioxide powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, ellipsometery, UV/Vis spectrometry and other techniques to understand the interplay between mesoporosity and optical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Effect of Mn concentration and atomic structure on the magnetic properties of Ge thin films

This work reports on the magnetic properties of Ge{sub 100-x}Mn{sub x} (x=0-24 at. %) films prepared by cosputtering a Ge+Mn target and submitted to cumulative thermal annealing treatments up to 500 deg. C. Both as-deposited and annealed films were investigated by means of compositional analysis, Raman scattering spectroscopy, magnetic force microscopy, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, and electrical resistivity measurements. All as-deposited films (either pure or containing Mn) exhibit an amorphous structure, which changes to crystalline as the annealing treatments are performed at increasing temperatures. In fact, the magnetic properties of the present Ge{sub 100-x}Mn{sub x} films are very sensitive to the Mn content and whether their atomic structure is amorphous or crystalline. More specifically: whereas the amorphous Ge{sub 100-x}Mn{sub x} films (with high x) present a characteristic spin glass behavior at low temperature; after crystallization, the films (with moderate Mn contents) are ferromagnetic at room temperature. Moreover, the magnetic behavior of the films scales with their Mn concentration and tends to be more pronounced after crystallization. Finally, the semiconducting behavior of the films, experienced by previous optical studies, was confirmed through electrical measurements, which also indicate the dependence of the resistivity with the atomic composition of the films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Study of a hydrogen-bombardment process for molecular cross-linking within thin films

A low-energy hydrogen bombardment method, without using any chemical additives, has been designed for fine tuning both physical and chemical properties of molecular thin films through selectively cleaving C-H bonds and keeping other bonds intact. In the hydrogen bombardment process, carbon radicals are generated during collisions between C-H bonds and hydrogen molecules carrying {approx}10 eV kinetic energy. These carbon radicals induce cross-linking of neighboring molecular chains. In this work, we focus on the effect of hydrogen bombardment on dotriacontane (C{sub 32}H{sub 66}) thin films as growing on native SiO{sub 2} surfaces. After the hydrogen bombardment, XPS results indirectly explain that cross-linking has occurred among C{sub 32}H{sub 66} molecules, where the major chemical elements have been preserved even though the bombarded thin film is washed by organic solution such as hexane. AFM results show the height of the perpendicular phase in the thin film decreases due to the bombardment. Intriguingly, Young's modulus of the bombarded thin films can be increased up to {approx}6.5 GPa, about five times of elasticity of the virgin films. The surface roughness of the thin films can be kept as smooth as the virgin film surface after thorough bombardment. Therefore, the hydrogen bombardment method shows a great potential in the modification of morphological, mechanical, and tribological properties of organic thin films for a broad range of applications, especially in an aggressive environment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Zinc Oxide Thin Films Fabricated with Direct Current Magnetron Sputtering Deposition Technique

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a very promising material for emerging large area electronic applications including thin-film sensors, transistors and solar cells. We fabricated ZnO thin films by employing direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering deposition technique. ZnO films with different thicknesses ranging from 100 nm to 1020 nm were deposited on silicon (Si) substrate. The deposition pressure was varied from 12 mTorr to 25 mTorr. The influences of the film thickness and the deposition pressure on structural properties of the ZnO films were investigated using Mahr surface profilometer and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The experimental results reveal that the film thickness and the deposition pressure play significant role in the structural formation of the deposited ZnO thin films. ZnO films deposited on Si substrates are promising for variety of thin-film sensor applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Radiochromic film dosimetry of HDR {sup 192}Ir source radiation fields

Purpose: A radiochromic film based dosimetry system for high dose rate (HDR) Iridium-192 brachytherapy source was described. A comparison between calibration curves established in water and Solid Water was provided. Methods: Pieces of EBT-2 model GAFCHROMIC film were irradiated in both water and Solid Water with HDR {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy source in a dose range from 0 to 50 Gy. Responses of EBT-2 GAFCHROMIC film were compared for irradiations in water and Solid Water by scaling the dose between media through Monte Carlo calculated conversion factor for both setups. To decrease uncertainty in dose delivery due to positioning of the film piece with respect to the radiation source, traceable calibration irradiations were performed in a parallel-opposed beam setup. Results: The EBT-2 GAFCHROMIC film based dosimetry system described in this work can provide an overall one-sigma dose uncertainty of 4.12% for doses above 1 Gy. The ratio of dose delivered to the sensitive layer of the film in water to the dose delivered to the sensitive layer of the film in Solid Water was calculated using Monte Carlo simulations to be 0.9941 {+-} 0.0007. Conclusions: A radiochromic film based dosimetry system using only the green color channel of a flatbed document scanner showed superior precision if used alone in a dose range that extends up to 50 Gy, which greatly decreases the complexity of work. In addition, Solid Water material was shown to be a viable alternative to water in performing radiochromic film based dosimetry with HDR {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy sources.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-475: Improvements to Total Body Irradiation Dosimetry Efficiency with EBT3 Radiochromic Film and a Template System

Purpose: Total Body Irradiation (TBI) treatments are mainly used in a preparative regimen for haematopoietic stem cell (or bone marrow) transplantation. Our standard regimen is a 12 Gy / 6 fraction bi-daily technique. To evaluate the delivered dose homogeneity to the patient, EBT3 Gafchromic film is positioned at the head, neck, chest, pelvis and groin for all fractions. A system has been developed to simply and accurately prepare and readout the films for patient dose assessment. Methods: A process involving easy preparation and analysis has been produced to minimise the time requirements for TBI dosimetry. One sheet of EBT3 film is used to prepare treatment dosimeters for all fractions, including calibration films, and an automated dose analysis system for easy evaluation and calculation of estimated in-vivo doses was developed. A desktop scanner is used with a dedicated TBI film template to accurately position the films for Image J analysis and extraction. Dental wax bolus and zip-lock bag holders are used to hold the EBT3 film in place during irradiation. Results: To adequately provide dosimetry information for a 6 fraction, TBI patient, only one sheet of Gafchromic EBT3 film is required. The dosimeters are cut, using a template, into 19 mm squares which are then placed between two 30 mm x 30 mm x 4.5 mm wax blocks for bolus. All packages are prepared before the first treatment fraction. The scanning and analysis process can be completed in less than 10 minutes after a 240 min development period. Results have shown that a high level of accuracy and reproducibility can be achieved using the template system provided. Conclusion: Gafchromic EBT3 film provides an adequate in-vivo dosimetry measure for TBI patients. Using a template based system on a dedicated desktop scanner, in-vivo results can be ascertained quickly and accurately.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Statistical Analysis of Laser Ablated Ba(Sub 0.50)Sr(Sub 0.50)TiO(Sub 3)/LaAlO(Sub 3) Films for Microwave Applications

The NASA Glenn Research Center is constructing a 616 element scanning phased array antenna using thin film Ba(sub x)Sr(sub 1-x)TiO(sub 3) based phase shifters. A critical milestone is the production of 616 identical phase shifters at 19 GHz with [asymptotically equal to]4 dB insertion loss and at least 337.5 deg phase shift with 3 percent bandwidth. It is well known that there is a direct relationship between dielectric tuning and loss due to the Kramers-Kronig relationship and that film crystallinity and strain, affected by the substrate template, play an important role. Ba(sub 0.50)Sr(sub 0.50)TiO (sub 3) films, nominally 400 nm thick, were deposited on 48 0.25 mm thick, 5 cm diameter LaAlO(sub 3) wafers. Although previous results suggested that Mn-doped films on MgO were intrinsically superior in terms of phase shift per unit loss, for this application phase shift per unit length was more important. The composition was selected as a compromise between tuning and loss for room temperature operation (e.g. crystallinity progressively degrades for Ba concentrations in excess of 30 percent). As a prelude to fabricating the array, it was necessary to process, screen, and inventory a large number of samples. Variable angle ellipsometry was used to characterize refractive index and film thickness across each wafer. Microstructural properties of the thin films were characterized using high resolution X-ray diffractometry. Finally, prototype phase shifters and resonators were patterned on each wafer and RE probed to measure tuning as a function of dc bias voltage as well as peak (0 field) permittivity and unloaded Q. The relationship among film quality and uniformity and performance is analyzed. This work presents the first statistically relevant study of film quality and microwave performance and represents a milestone towards commercialization of thin ferroelectric films for microwave applications.

Ferroelectric thin films↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transfer of Millimeter‐Scale Strained Multiferroic Epitaxial Thin Films on Rigid Substrates via an Epoxy Method Producing Magnetic Property Enhancement

The demonstration of epitaxial thin film transfer has enormous potential for thin film devices free from the traditional substrate epitaxy limitations. However, large-area continuous film transfer remains a challenge for the commonly reported polymer-based transfer methods due to bending and cracking during transfer, especially for highly strained epitaxial thin films. In this work, a new epoxy-based, rigid transfer method is used to transfer films from an SrTiO 3 (STO) growth substrate onto various new substrates, including those that will typically pose significant problems for epitaxy. An epitaxial multiferroic Bi 3 Fe 2 Mn 2 O x (BFMO) layered supercell (LSC) material is selected as the thin film for this demonstration. The results of surface and structure studies show an order of magnitude increase in the continuous area of transferred films when compared to previous transfer methods. The magnetic properties of the BFMO LSC films are shown to be enhanced by the release of strain in this method, and ferromagnetic resonance is found with an exceptionally low Gilbert damping coefficient. The large-area transfer of this highly strained complex oxide BFMO thin film presents enormous potential for the integration of many other multifunctional oxides onto new substrates for future magnetic sensors and memory devices.

bismuth oxides↗
DOE OSTI2018

Optimization of BaHfO{sub 3} Doping Concentration as Secondary Phase in Y{sub 0.5}Gd{sub 0.5}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−x} Thin Film Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

BaHfO{sub 3} (BHO)-doped Y{sub 0.5}Gd{sub 0.5}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−x} (YGBCO) films with a series of doping concentrations (1, 3, 5, and 10 mol%) were fabricated on CeO{sub 2} buffer layers by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, and a pristine YGBCO film was also deposited at the same conditions for comparison. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the undoped and doped YGBCO films had a pure c-axis orientation. While the surface morphology and crystal quality of the BHO-doped YGBCO films deteriorated as the BHO content increased, and the critical current density (J{sub c}) at 77 K and self-field (J{sub c}{sup 77,0}) and critical transition temperature (T{sub c}) of the BHO-doped YGBCO films exhibited varying degrees of decline in comparison with the pristine YGBCO film. However, the 5 mol% BHO-doped YGBCO film exhibited greatly enhanced the J{sub c} and the highest pinning force densities (F{sub p}) at both 4.2 and 65 K, which showed the maximum value of 5776 GN/m{sup 3} (4.2 K, H//c) and 117 GN/m{sup 3} (65 K, H//c), about 1.5 times that of the undoped YGBCO film. Based on the results, the 5 mol% BHO-doped YGBCO film had the most effective flux pinning centers, which are responsible for strongly improved critical current densities in magnetic fields.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effects of Deposition Temperature on the Structural and Physical Properties of Ba(Fe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 2}As{sub 2} Thin Film

Ba(Fe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 2}As{sub 2} thin films have been grown directly on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition at the temperatures from 640 to 700 {sup ∘}C. Effects of deposition temperature (T{sub s}) on the structure, magnetic, and superconducting properties of the films are investigated systematically. It is found that Ba(Fe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 2}As{sub 2} film grown at lower deposition temperature is polycrystalline, and the optimized temperature of 685 {sup ∘}C can yield high-quality epitaxial Ba(Fe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 2}As{sub 2} film. The (002) diffraction peak of Fe metal at 2𝜃 =∼ 65{sup ∘} is observed along with the (00l) diffraction peaks of Ba(Fe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 2}As{sub 2} films deposited at all temperatures, which is attributed to the decomposition of BaFe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}As{sub 2} target when a high-energy pulsed laser hit on the target in a high vacuum. X-ray photoelectron spectra of Fe 2p show that the relative percentage of zerovalent ion (Fe{sup 0}) is almost equal to that of divalent ion (Fe{sup 2+}) for the film deposited at 670 {sup ∘}C, which is different from that most Fe{sup 2+} ions exist in the BaFe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}As{sub 2} target. The saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) increases from 7.88 to 240.5 emu/cm{sup 3} monotonously with the increase of Ba(Fe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 2}As{sub 2} film deposition temperature. The maximum zero-resistance temperature (T{sub c}{sup 0}) of ∼16 K was obtained, which can be attributed to the high quality of the Ba(Fe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 2}As{sub 2} film. The coexistence of superconductivity (SC) and ferromagnetism (FM) in the BaFe{sub 1.8}Co{sub 0.2}As{sub 2} films was discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Easy Controlled Properties of Quaternary FeNiCrCd Thin Films Deposited from a Single dc Magnetron Sputtering Under the Influence of Deposition Rate

The quaternary FeNiCrCd thin films were produced from a single FeNiCrCr source on a commercial flexible polymer substrate using one dc magnetron sputtering technique. For that, a series of the films with a thickness of 50 nm were produced at different deposition rates of 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 nm/s, separately. In this study, as far as concerned, this was the first time that structural and magnetic properties of FeNiCrCd thin films were investigated. According to compositional analysis, the Fe and Cr contents slightly decreased with increasing deposition rate while Ni was almost constant, whereas those of the amount of Cd atoms increased. However, the atomic amounts of Fe and Cd in the films are quite different from those of the source material. The change of the atomic contents in the films from the source may be attributed to the relatively different bond energy/melting point of metals which have different contents sputtered from source material since this physical parameter is very significant for the sputtering process. For crystal structural analysis, a combination of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) and body-centered cubic (bcc) were observed. The peak intensity of the bcc-dominated planes decreased while the hcp-dominant plane increased since the change in peak intensities is compatible with the compositional analysis with increasing deposition rate. And, the grain sizes decreased gradually from 40.1 to 23.4 nm, with increasing deposition rate from 0.02, to 0.08 nm/s. Also, the film surfaces transformed from a rough to smooth surfaces with decreasing grain sizes as deposition rate increased. For magnetic analysis, the saturation magnetization M{sub s} values decreased as 1030, 773, 730, and 217 emu/cm{sup 3} with increasing deposition rate as 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 nm/s, respectively. In the same manner, the coercivity H{sub c} values were found as 11, 7, 6, and 2 Oe with the deposition rate of 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 nm/s, respectively. The decrease of the H{sub c} may have primarily come from the transformation of rough to smooth surface of the films. It may also be said that the films showed soft magnetic properties due to their low H{sub c} values with increasing deposition rate. Thus, the magnetic properties of the quaternary FeNiCrCd alloy films were seen to be easily improved with the deposition rate parameter for potential use in different industrial applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Production of cyclo-hafnium metal–organic thin film using a specific method

Cyclo-hafnium metal–organic thin film was successfully synthesized and deposited on amorphous glass using a specific method, where amorphous substrate was used for synthesis and coating. Then, the film was annealed at 300 °C in an oven (ambient conditions). Optical and structural properties of the films were also investigated within the study. The structure of the film was analyzed using the mid-infrared spectrum. Optical properties were investigated via the UV–Vis spectroscopic technique. Film thickness was measured with AFM (tapping mode). Surface properties and elemental ratio of the films were examined and measured with SEM and EDX analysis. The highest transmittance and lowest reflectance values within the visible range were identified. The characteristic triethanolamine and hafnium-oxide peaks were observed in the infrared spectrum. FIR spectra of the films were found to be in accordance with the literature. SEM images of the films revealed that the surface of the films is fragile. EDX analysis of hafnium, organic parts of the compound and some minerals of amorphous glass were shown.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Influence of bath temperatures on physical and electrical properties of potentiostatically deposited Cu{sub 2}O thin films for heterojunction solar cell applications

In the present work, the influence of bath temperatures on structural, morphological, vibrational, optical, electrical and photo response properties of the electrochemically deposited cuprous oxide (Cu{sub 2}O) thin films on fluorine doped tin oxide substrate is extensively investigated with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Micro Raman spectroscopy, photo luminescence (PL) spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, LCR measurement, Keithley 4200 semiconductor characterization system respectively. XRD patterns reveal that the deposited Cu{sub 2}O films have cubic structure grown along the preferential (111) orientation and the film deposited at 40 °C shows better crystalline nature when compared at 55 and 70 °C. The micro structural properties of films such as crystallite size (D), dislocation density (δ), micro strain (ε) and stacking fault probability (α) were calculated and discussed in detail. SEM displays a well-defined three side pyramid shaped morphology for the film deposited at 40 °C. Micro Raman and PL spectra reveal the film deposited at 40 °C by being better crystalline at a higher acceptor concentration. UV–Visible study shows that the optical energy band gap increases from 2.05 to 2.17 eV with an increase in bath temperature from 40 to 70 °C. The frequency-temperature dependence of impedance analysis shows a higher electrical conductivity for a film deposited at 40 °C compared to other bath temperatures. I-V measurement illustrates a good photoconductivity response for Cu{sub 2}O thin film deposited at 40 °C compared to films deposited at 55 and 70 °C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Structure and Anticorrosion, Friction, and Wear Characteristics of Pure Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC), Cr-DLC, and Cr-H-DLC Films on AZ91D Mg Alloy

This study evaluated the protection against corrosion and wear afforded to AZ91D Mg alloy by coatings of hydrogen-free and low-Cr-doped hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. The microstructure and corrosion resistance were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, polarization curves, and neutral salt spraying tests. Wear tests were performed to investigate the friction and wear behaviors of the samples against 9Cr18 in humid air, deionized water, and 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution using a reciprocating sliding test in the ball-on-disk mode. The results showed that the more compact Cr-H-DLC film improved the corrosion resistance of the Mg alloy, whereas the Cr-DLC film accelerated the corrosion in the 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. All Mg alloy samples coated with DLC films exhibited low coefficient of friction (COF) values and smaller wear volumes compared with those of bare substrate in air, water, or NaCl solution. The Cr-DLC film presented the lowest COF and wear rate in air, but the worst corrosion protection in air and NaCl solution, whereas the converse was found for the Cr-H-DLC film. Unfortunately, all coated samples showed limited protection ability because of pore defects in the films, high galvanic potential between the substrate and the buffer layer or film, and high electrical conductivity, which caused severe tribocorrosion of the Mg alloy during the wear tests in NaCl solution. The corrosion protection ability of DLC films is key to the wear resistance protection of Mg alloys in water or NaCl solution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Structure of Cr Film Epitaxially Grown on MgO (001)

Cr(001) films of thickness ~100 nm were epitaxially grown on MgO (001) using molecular beam epitaxy at both room temperature and 550 °C. The structure of the films was characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Room temperature growth leads to highly oriented columnar structured grains in the film, while growth at 550 °C yields high quality single crystal Cr film, possessing a 45 degree rotational epitaxial relationship between the film and the substrate. For the single crystal film, the interface exhibited coherent regions separated by equally-spaced misfit dislocations. When imaged from the MgO[100]//Cr[110] direction, the dislocation spacing is 5.38 nm and 4.64 nm for the films grown at room temperature and 550 °C, respectively, which is slightly smaller than the expected value of 6.25 nm calculated from the differences in lattice spacing based on known lattice constants. The results presented here indicate that the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate is accommodated mainly by interface misfit dislocations above some critical thickness. The electronic structure of the interface between the film and the substrate is also explored using electron energy-loss spectroscopy.

(001)↗