Sputter deposition from a Ti2AlC target: Process characterization and conditions for growth of Ti2AlC

Frodelius, Jenny; Eklund, Per; Beckers, Markus; Persson, Per; Högberg, Hans; Hultman, Lars

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2009.11.059

Cited by 83 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The same effects were demonstrated recently by combined experimental and simulation studies by Neidhardt et al [121] for sputtering from Ti-B targets of several compositions. These results also provide a possible reason for the apparent differences between sputtering from Ti 2 AlC and Cr 2 AlC targets [98,110,111], namely that the emission characteristics of the elements may vary depending on the target. This would not be surprising, since it is known that Ti 2 AlC and Cr 2 AlC have different bonding character [122,123,124,125,126].…”

mentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Additionally, a substoichiometric TiC x buffer layer can be employed as a C sink, i.e., the excess C is accommodated by the buffer layer [113]. Deposition from a Ti 2 AlC target has also been shown to result in off-stoichiometric films, and the excess C can be compensated by addition of Ti [110,111].…”

Section: Sputtering With Compound Targetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The idea behind using a TiC seed layer is that the Ti 3 SiC 2 {0001} and TiC{111} planes can form epitaxial and coherent interfaces [259]. This follows from the isomorphism of the TiC (111) [101], shows an example of the use of seed layers for MAX phases. For the case of an intentionally deposited TiC x seed layer [see Fig.…”

Section: Nucleation Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, Ti (and Si) are to a large extent thermalized, i.e., they have undergone a sufficient number of collisions to lose their initial energy and their motion is random. This has been demonstrated by energy-resolved mass-spectrometry measurements during sputtering from Ti 3 SiC 2 and Ti 2 AlC targets [111,127]. The gas-phase scattering effect is further evidenced by the pressure dependence of the composition, where higher Ar pressure results in higher relative Ti content and lower C content, as a consequence of increased C scattering.…”

mentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Elements with low vapor pressure, e.g., Si and Ge, are typically only affected at deposition temperatures of 850 °C and higher [99,105,113]. Evaporation of Sn and Al, on the other hand, can be a dominant effect already at 700 °C [105,111]. However, deposition of Ti 2 AlN has been demonstrated at a temperature as high as 1050 °C, which seems to have been made possible by having exactly the right composition, so that arriving Al atoms bond to Ti 2 N slabs [129].…”

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confidence: 99%

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The M+1AX phases: Materials science and thin-film processing

et al. 2010

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This article is a critical review of the M n+1 AX n phases ("MAX phases", where n =1, 2, or 3) from a materials science perspective. MAX phases are a class of hexagonal-structure ternary carbides and nitrides ("X") of a transition metal ("M") and an A-group element. The most well known are Ti 2 AlC, Ti 3 SiC 2 , and Ti 4 AlN 3 . There are ~60 MAX phases with at least 9 discovered in the last five years alone. What makes the MAX phases fascinating and potentially useful is their remarkable combination of chemical, physical, electrical, and mechanical properties, which in many ways combine the characteristics of metals and ceramics. For example, MAX phases are typically resistant to oxidation and corrosion, elastically stiff, but at the same time they exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivities and are machinable. These properties stem from an inherently nanolaminated crystal structure, with M n+1 X n slabs intercalated with pure A-element layers. The research on MAX phases has been accelerated by the introduction of thin-film processing methods.Magnetron sputtering and arc deposition have been employed to synthesize single-crystal material by epitaxial growth, which enables studies of fundamental materials properties. However, the surface-initiated decomposition of M n+1 AX n thin films into MX compounds at temperatures of 1000-1100 °C is much lower than the decomposition temperatures typically reported for the corresponding bulk material. We also review the prospects for low-temperature synthesis, which is essential for deposition of MAX phases onto technologically important substrates. While deposition of MAX phases from the archetypical Ti-Si-C and Ti-Al-N systems typically require synthesis temperatures of ~800 °C, recent results have demonstrated that V 2 GeC and Cr 2 AlC can be deposited at ~450 °C. Also, thermal spray of Ti 2 AlC powder has been used to produce thick coatings. We further treat progress in the use of first-principles calculations for predicting hypothetical MAX phases and their properties. Together with advances in processing and materials 3 analysis, this progress has led to recent discoveries of numerous new MAX phases such as Ti 4 SiC 3 , Ta 4 AlC 3 , and Ti 3 SnC 2 . Finally, important future research directions are discussed. These include charting the unknown regions in phase diagrams to discover new equilibrium and metastable phases, as well as research challenges in understanding their physical properties, such as the effects of anisotropy, impurities, and vacancies on the electrical properties, and unexplored properties such as superconductivity, magnetism, and optics. 4

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confidence: 79%

Section: Sputtering With Compound Targetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nucleation Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 92%

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confidence: 99%

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The M+1AX phases: Materials science and thin-film processing

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2D Transition Metal Carbides (MXenes) for Applications in Electrocatalysis

Laishram

Kumar

Shejale

et al. 2022

Heterogeneous Nanocatalysis for Energy and Environmental Sustainability

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MAX Phases as Nanolaminate Materials: Chemical Composition, Microstructure, Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

Xia

2021

Adv Eng Mater

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Ceramics is one of the oldest materials prepared and used by human beings. Ancient ancestors started to make pottery by forming and burning clay since the earliest civilizations. Ancient people started to fabricate burnt claywares since %6500 B.C., and clayware as a commercial product was available by %4000 B.C. [1] In modern society, as one of the largest branches in material family, ceramics have been developed and used in almost every fields of human beings' lives. In some senses, ceramics and metals possess complementary properties; generally, ceramics show the advantages of high strength, high hardness, high chemical stability, high wear resistance, whereas ceramics typically show intrinsic brittleness and poor plasticity due to their covalent and/or ionic chemical bonding; metals have good plasticity, high toughness, and high thermal and electronic conductivity; however, they typically show lower chemical stability and lower hardness than ceramics. It would be marvelous for a material to combine the properties of ceramics and metals. MAX phases are the materials that meet the challenge.MAX phases are a family of nanolaminate ternary nitrides and carbides, which were first discovered by Nowotny and his colleagues in Vienna. [2] In the beginning, MAX phases have a general formula of M nþ1 AX n (n ¼ 1-3), where M is a transition metal, A is an element from group A, and X is either carbon or nitrogen. The n value could be 1, 2, or 3, and the phases are named as 211, 312, and 413 MAX phases, respectively. These MAX phases show a hexagonal crystal structure (P63/mmc), consisting of M 6 X octahedra separated by A atomic layers. [3] M─X bonds in M 6 X octahedra are strong covalent bonds, whereas the M─A bonds between M 6 X and A atomic layer are much weaker, especially in shear. This unique bonding structure is analogous to graphite, and it is the special bonding structure that endows MAX phases properties of both ceramics and metals. On the one hand, MAX phases are stiff, lightweight, chemically stable, and oxidation resistant, which are the features of ceramics; on the other hand, they exhibit good electric and thermal conductivity as well as excellent machinability and damage tolerance, which are the features of metals.Unfortunately, MAX phases had not attracted enough attention in both academia and industry until 1996 when Barsoum et al. [4] synthesized and characterized Ti 3 SiC 2 . Ever since then, material researchers become more interested in this material. [5] In the past two decades, many MAX phases have been synthesized and tested to show highly unusual properties, [6] which will be discussed with detail in the following sections. The intensive extent of the researches on MAX phases can be demonstrated by the published papers (Figure 1). A remarkable jump can be observed between 1998 and 1999, and after that, the number of published papers increases steadily, reaching as high as 980 papers in 2019 (Figure 1a). From another aspect, the citation of the milestone paper published by Barsoum [4] also signific...

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Sputter deposition from a Ti2AlC target: Process characterization and conditions for growth of Ti2AlC

Cited by 83 publications

References 30 publications

The M+1AX phases: Materials science and thin-film processing

The M+1AX phases: Materials science and thin-film processing

2D Transition Metal Carbides (MXenes) for Applications in Electrocatalysis

MAX Phases as Nanolaminate Materials: Chemical Composition, Microstructure, Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

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