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Transmission Electron Microscopy Investigation on the Electron-stimulated Oxidation of Iron Nitrides by 2-MeV Electron Irradiation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2005

Z.Q. Liu ,
H. Hashimoto ,
T. Sakata ,
H. Mori ,
M. Song ,
K. Mitsuishi  and
K. Furuya
Z.Q. Liu*
Affiliation:
High Voltage Electron Microscopy Station, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0003, Japan
H. Hashimoto
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Okayama University of Science, Okayama 700-0005, Japan
T. Sakata
Affiliation:
Research Center for Ultra-High Voltage Electron Microscopy, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
H. Mori
Affiliation:
Research Center for Ultra-High Voltage Electron Microscopy, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
M. Song
Affiliation:
High Voltage Electron Microscopy Station, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0003, Japan
K. Mitsuishi
Affiliation:
High Voltage Electron Microscopy Station, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0003, Japan
K. Furuya
Affiliation:
High Voltage Electron Microscopy Station, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0003, Japan
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: liu.zhiquan@nims.go.jp
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Abstract

An iron nitride sample was irradiated by 2-MeV electrons intermittently for 2100 s with a dose rate of 6.3 × 1024 e.m.−2 s−1 inside a 3-MV high-voltage transmission electron microscope. The electron-stimulated oxidation of Fe4N and Fe2–3N was investigated in situ and ex situ using conventional transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution electron microscopy. It was found that both Fe4N and Fe2–3N nitrides were oxidized by the residual gas in the vacuum chamber to form Fe3O4 oxides. The orientation relationship between Fe4N (γ′) and Fe3O4 (o) was (110)γ′//(220)o, [001]γ′//[001]o, and that between Fe2–3N (ϵ) and Fe3O4 (o) was (110)ϵ//(−220)o, [1–11]ϵ//[001]o. Crystal lattice deformation from iron nitride to iron oxide took place during the dynamic oxidation process. Structural models were proposed to understand the oxide formation, and the models were confirmed by experimental observations. The irradiation effects of Fe4N and Fe2–3N crystals were compared. The results show that Fe4N is more sensitive than Fe2–3N to electron irradiation. These results are important not only for the fabrication of insulating iron oxide film, but also in the field of the surface modification of iron nitride to improve its mechanical properties.

Keywords

Phase transformationRadiation effectsTransmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 20 , Issue 7 , July 2005 , pp. 1918 - 1926
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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