A peritectic solidification growth model considering both solute diffusion in the liquid and interface kinetics is developed for the growth of YBa2Cu3O61x (123) superconductive oxide. The effect of interface kinetics on the growth rate and the rate control process is discussed using this model. The growth rate of the 123 crystal is evaluated as a function of the undercooling using the proper kinetic equation. The evaluated results by this model show good agreement with the experimental results. As a result of this evaluation, the growth of the 123 crystal is predicted to be limited by a mixed control process in general.

The effect of thickness on methanol transport in fourteen-year-old crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate) was investigated. The samples studied here are from the same primary source of those used by a study made fourteen years earlier. The sample was encapsulated by a plastic bag and maintained in a desiccator at room temperature. Four thicknesses, 0.6, 1.0, 1.5, and 1.9 mm, were examined. Methanol sorption data were fit to a model in which the mass sorption is a combination of case I, case II, and anomalous sorption. The diffusion coefficient for case I transport increases with increasing thickness, but the velocity for case II transport does the opposite. The diffusion coefficient for case I transport and the velocity for case II transport exhibit the Arrhenius behavior. The activation energies for case II transport are 18.9, 16.3, 14.6, and 13.4 kcal/mole, corresponding to the thicknesses 0.6, 1.0, 1.5, and 1.9 mm, respectively. The activation energies for case I transport are 24.7, 24.2, 21.7, and 21.9 kcal/mole, corresponding to the thicknesses 0.6, 1.0, 1.5, and 1.9 mm, respectively. For thickness 1.5 mm the activation energies for case I and case II transport are 21.7 and 14.6 kcal/mole for this study and 24.9 and 17.3 kcal/mole obtained fourteen years ago.

YBa2Cu3O7 (123) samples with varying Y2BaCuO5 (211) concentrations (0 mol%, 20 mol%, 28 mol%, and 50 mol%) were synthesized by the melt-growth process. Microstructural characterizations were done using x-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that 123 platelet width, crack width between the platelets, and 211 particle size decreased systematically with increasing 211 concentration. TEM study showed that there is a critical radius of curvature (rc ≤ 0.2 μm-0.3 μm) of the 123/211 interface where defects/contrasts of strain field start to appear, and these defects are believed to be responsible for pinning the magnetic flux. Microhardness measurements showed that Vickers hardness (VHN) increases with increasing 211 content. Critical current density (Jc) values obtained from magnetization measurements using a SQUID magnetometer were found to increase in melt-grown samples by the addition of 211 content.

The defect structure of epitaxial, c-oriented Bi2Sr2Can−1CunO4+2n+δ (BSCCO) thin films grown by dc-sputtering and layer-by-layer MBE on SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 single crystal substrates was investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Particular emphasis was put on the structure of the film/substrate interface. The films grown by dc-sputtering show a rather perfect structure involving a regular stacking of the unit cells. In spite of this regularity, there are many defects, such as twins, chemical stacking faults, and precipitates, as well as interfacial dislocations accommodating the film/substrate lattice misfit. The MBE-grown films contain twins and interfacial dislocations, but most prominent are precipitates of various size and rather high number density. Composition and structure of the precipitates were analyzed. Interfacial dislocations were found to be located in the films at a distance of up to 3 nm from the film/substrate interface. The experiments showed that the quality of the film/substrate interface in MBE-grown films is considerably higher with respect to smoothness, sharpness, and regularity, if the layer-by-layer MBE process starts with a Sr–O layer instead of a Bi–O layer. This observation is in correspondence to the observed interface structure of the dc-sputtered films, where the first film layer was a Sr–O layer, not a Bi–O layer, in spite of the films being sputtered from a composite target. A structure model of the Bi2Sr2Can−1CunO4+2n+δ/(100)SrTiO3 interface is proposed. The prolonged MBE process was shown to imply a chemical interaction between the SrTiO3 substrate and the growing film, resulting in the formation of Sr-rich phases in the near-interface substrate regions.

A set of 45° [001] bi-epitaxial YB2Cu3O7−x thin film grain boundaries was studied to compare the effects of the microstructure on transport properties. The grain boundaries were made using two different deposition techniques: pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and pulsed organometallic beam epitaxy (POMBE). The transport properties were highly dependent on the specific growth conditions used, resulting in both fully resistive and superconducting grain boundaries. Subsequent microstructural analysis of the measured boundaries showed that both types (superconducting and resistive) meandered on the length scale of hundreds of nanometers. The major structural difference between the boundaries was at the atomic scale where the resistive boundary had a 1 nm wide disordered region. The direct correlation of microstructure to transport properties demonstrates the importance of the atomic scale structure in the resulting transport behavior.

Changing the film deposition rate is shown to be one way to influence the meandering configurations of grain boundaries (GB's) formed in YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) bicrystal thin films. The magnitude and wavelength of the meander in YBCO films deposited at two different rates have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and statistically quantified. It has been found that the meander becomes more uniform and considerably less rough in films deposited at lower rates compared to that observed in films deposited at higher rates. A mechanism for the formation of the meandering GB is proposed based on heterogeneous nucleation and three-dimensional (3D) island growth together with overgrowth of the YBCO films across the substrate grain boundary. The different island sizes and tendency for overgrowth induced by changing the film deposition rate are believed to play important roles in controlling the meandering GB configuration. The possible effects of meandering configurations on transport properties are discussed.

Epitaxial TiN films were grown on cubic (3C)-SiC(001) and hexagonal (6H)-SiC(0001) substrates by ultrahigh vacuum reactive magnetron sputtering from a Ti target in a mixed Ar and N2 discharge at a substrate temperature of 700 °C. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, including high-resolution imaging, showed orientational relationships TiN(001)‖3C-SiC(001), and TiN[110]‖3C-SiC[110], and TiN(111)‖6H-SiC(0001) and . In the latter case, twin-related TiN domains formed as the result of nucleation on SiC terraces with an inequivalent stacking sequence of Si and C. The TiN/SiC interface was locally atomically sharp for both SiC polytypes. Defects in the TiN layers consisted of threading double positioning domain boundaries in TiN(111) on 6H-SiC. Stacking faults in 3C-SiC did not propagate upon growth of TiN. Room-temperature resistivity of TiN films was ρ = 14 μΩ cm for 6H-SiC(0001) and ρ = 17 μΩ cm for 3C-SiC(001) substrates. Specific contact resistance of TiN to 6H-SiC(0001) was 1.3 3 10−3 Ω cm2 for a 6H-SiC substrate with an n-type doping of 5 × 1017 cm−3.

Polycrystalline (0001)-oriented thin films of ZnO (thickness 120 nm) were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering and post-deposition annealed at 500 °C in oxygen (1 atm). The films were subsequently implanted with copper at doses over the range 1016 to 1017 ions/cm2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates the compressive intrinsic film stress is largely relieved by the preimplantation anneal, and does not change when implanted or when further annealed after implantation, suggesting that the dominant cause of intrinsic stress is the atomic packing density rather than the crystallographic defect density. Resistivity measurements indicate that annealing of pure ZnO films causes the perpendicular resistivity to increase from 1.3 × 105 Ω · cm to 5 × 1010 Ω · cm. Copper implantation results in a lower resistivity of the order of 107 Ω · cm, but subsequent annealing actually increases resistivity beyond that of annealed nonimplanted ZnO to 3 × 1012 Ω · cm. It is proposed that copper increases the resistivity of those annealed films by trapping free electrons with the Cu 3d hole state occurring in CuO (formed predominantly during annealing). In order to check this, the oxidation state of the implanted copper was studied before and after annealing by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Three oxidation states of copper (Cu0, Cu1+, Cu2+) are detected in the implanted films, and postimplantation annealing results in oxidation of copper to the Cu2+ state, confirming that the presence of CuO in ZnO is associated with increased resistivity.

EuO thin films with the cubic NaCl structure were fabricated by a sol-gel technique. The composition and crystal structure of the films were investigated as a function of firing temperature. The preparation of the stock solution and the coating and firing of the films are described. The firing of the gel film and the reduction of the Eu2O3 phase are also discussed.

Analytical transmission electron microscopy was used to study specimens of a low-Cu dental amalgam (Velvalloy), prepared using the “wedge technique.” Analysis confirmed that the microstructure consists of a Ag2Hg3(γ1)/HgSn7−9(γ2) matrix surrounding unreacted Ag3Sn(γ) particles. In addition a hitherto uncharacterized reaction layer of fine grains between Ag3Sn(γ) and Ag2Hg3(γ1) is a mixture of Ag3Sn(γ), Ag–Hg–Sn (β1), Ag2Hg3 (γ1), and occasionally Cu6Sn5 (η′). An Ag–Hg–Sn (β1) phase was clearly identified for the first time. Since Velvalloy is a simple commercial dental amalgam, it is a reasonable starting point for characterizing more complex dental amalgam microstructures.

Real and imaginary components of the impedance response on Co68.1Fe4.4B15Si12.5 amorphous as-cast wires were measured in the 100 Hz-100 kHz frequency range and 0.05–30 mA (RMS) current amplitude, at axial dc fields of 0 and 4800 A/m. From these data, plots of circumferential complex permeability as a function of circular field, as well as magnetization curves, were derived. Results are analyzed in terms equivalent circuits, which allows a resolution of domain wall and rotational contributions to the circumferential magnetization processes.

A novel metastable layered titanium phosphate has been synthesized by the treatment of layered titanates (Na2Ti3O7 and Na4Ti9O20) with 1–2 M phosphoric acid solution at 120–150 °C. Based on the data of 31P MAS NMR and IR spectroscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, and thermal and elemental analysis, the formula Ti2O3(H2PO4)2 · 2H2O was assigned to the novel compound. The layered nature of the compound was confirmed from n-alkylamine intercalation and the ion exchange behavior toward alkali, alkaline earth, and some transition metal ions.

Amorphous microwires, obtained by the glass-coated melt-spinning method having diameters in the range of micrometers, can exhibit perfectly square (single and large Barkhausen jump) or quasi-anhysteretic hysteresis loops, depending on the easy magnetization direction determined by the intrinsic magnetoelastic anisotropy. The thermoelastic internal stressed frozen-in during the fabrication that model the domain structure are here calculated by considering the classical theory of elasticity. A complex stress distribution is obtained having magnitude of 103 MPa. Circular stresses turn out to be predominant, which arises from the composite nature of the microwire (metallic nucleus and insulating glass coating having different mechanical and thermal properties).

We studied composition, structure, microstructure, and magnetic properties of percolating (Ni–Fe)x(SiO2)1−x granular thin films. We found that the magnetic susceptibility increases and the coercivity decreases when increasing x toward xt, the critical metallic volume fraction for the metal-insulator transition, and the susceptibility decreases and the coercivity increases when increasing annealing temperature for x just below xt. Comparison of the microstructure and the magnetic properties suggests that the enhanced magnetic susceptibility for x just below xt is probably associated with the labyrinthine structure of the granular magnetic particles where there is an enhanced surface-to-volume ratio of the magnetic particles.

Sintering, glass crystallization, microstructure, and the resulting properties of spodumene-borosilicate glass composites were investigated. Densities >90% could be obtained for samples sintered below 1000 °C. Samples that contained more low-viscosity glass densified at lower temperatures, and significant density reduction was observed at higher temperatures. Samples that contained high-viscosity glass densified only at higher temperatures. When glasses of different viscosity were added, the densification of the composites was improved. There was interdiffusion between spodumene and glass. Cristobalite crystallized from the pure glasses. Addition of spodumene changed the major phase crystallized to anorthite or α-quartz as a result of dissolution of spodumene into glass. Composites that contained glass of higher silica content showed more crystallization. As sintering temperatures increased, the amount of crystallization decreased, due to dissolution of glass into spodumene. The spodumene particles showed angular shape with smooth and straight sides. The spodumene-glass composites showed a dielectric constant in the range of 5–6, a loss tangent generally <1%, and a CTE value in the range of 2–5.6 × 10–6 K–1. Codoping of glasses with different viscosity effectively improved the densification and properties of the composites.

Mechanical behavior of hot-pressed SiC platelet reinforced alumina composites has been analyzed as a function of SiC platelet content for two different alumina matrix powders. Fracture toughness and flexural strength at temperatures ranging from 25 to 1200 °C, R-curve behavior, and thermal shock resistance have been determined. Small differences in the impurity content of the starting Al2O3 powders strongly determine the microstructure and the mechanical behavior of Al2O3/SiC-platelet composites. Low alkali content alumina led to composites with large matrix grain size which presented spontaneous microcracking. At high temperature, a high viscosity liquid phase is formed that shields cracks enhancing mechanical properties and R-curve behavior. A small amount of impurities reduced Al2O3 matrix grain size and avoided spontaneous microcracking. Enhanced fracture toughness (up to 30%) at room temperature, R-curve behavior, and thermal shock resistance were achieved for these materials.

Diphenylborosiloxane (PBS), an organometallic compound with Si–O–B bonds, was compounded with carbon fiber (CF) to form CF/ceramic composite. Three types of PBS with different molar ratios (Si/B) in the materials were used. On the PBS obtained, specific gravity, Si content, molecular weight, melting point, and infrared absorption spectrum were measured. On the basis of these results, structures of PBS were examined, which clarified that the PBS thus synthesized consisted of several components with different molecular weights. Mechanical properties and oxidation resistivity of the CF/ceramic composites obtained differed with the Si/B ratios of PBS. Mechanical strength of the CF/ceramic composites increased with increase of Si content of PBS. It was also found that, when PBS with high boron content was used, compact vitreous film consisting mainly of B2O3 was formed over the composite. Due to the formation of this film, oxidation resistivity of the composite was improved.

The operation of the process of chemical vapor infiltration using a combination of pressure pulsing and thermal gradients is theoretically investigated in this study. Past studies had shown that pulsing of the pressure in the gas phase can lead to a dramatic reduction of the density gradients in the densifying structure, in comparison to those seen in isobaric diffusion-driven Pinfiltration, with significant gradients present only in the vicinity of the external surface of the preforms. Using a detailed model for chemical vapor infiltration under unsteady nonisothermal conditions, we show that temperature gradients, created in our study through microwave heating, can, in conjunction with pressure pulsing, eliminate the density gradients in the final product. Moreover, appropriate tuning of the operational parameters can lead to a situation where densification proceeds from the interior of the preform toward the external surface.

A recently developed diol sol-gel route has been modified in order to produce multilayer PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 films on platinized sapphire substrates. Up to 20 depositions of a 1.1 M sol were carried out leading to a final film thickness of 10 μm. A similar thickness could be achieved from 12 coatings of a more concentrated 1.6 M sol. Decomposition and crystallization of the multilayer coatings were performed using a two-stage prefiring sequence, at 350 °C and 600 °C, followed by a final firing step at 700 °C. Ferroelectric remanant polarization increased with increasing film thickness to a value of 40 μC cm−2 for a 10 μm film, with a corresponding coercive field of 30 kV cm−1; the relative permittivity of this film was ∼1000 and the dissipation factor 0.04. The thickness dependence of relative permittivity could be modeled on a simple series capacitor circuit representing the ferroelectric Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) film and low-permittivity interface layers; but other possible contributory factors are also discussed.

Si–N–B films have been deposited by LPCVD from SiH4/B2H6/NH3 gas mixtures. The influence of the temperature and the composition of the gas mixture on the deposition process and film properties has been investigated. At 1000 °C, for the highest ammonia flow rate (SiH4 :B2H6 : NH3, 10 : 25 : 500), a mixture of turbostratic boron nitride and silicon nitride was deposited. For decreasing ammonia flow rates the Si–N–B ternary system was formed (1260 cm−1 band in the infrared spectra), which co-exists with the unstable turbostratic boron nitride structure. Finally, for a low NH3 flow rate of 100 sccm, stable amorphous films are obtained. On the other hand, at 800 °C, stable films with a high content in the ternary Si–N–B compound were obtained for a wide range of ammonia concentrations (100–500 sccm). At this temperature (800 °C), the composition of the films, as measured by Auger and photoelectron spectroscopies, strongly depends on the [SiH4]/[B2H6] ratio in the gas mixture. The improvement in the mechanical and chemical properties of the samples has been associated with the increase in the content of Si–N bonds in the Si–N–B films.