Quantitative electron energy-loss spectrometry was applied to a range of ceramic materials at a spatial resolution of <5 nm. Analysis of Fe L23 white lines indicated a low-spin state with a charge transfer of ∼1.5 electrons/atom onto the Fe atoms implanted into (amorphized) silicon carbide. Gradients of 2 to 5% in the Co:O stoichiometry were measured across 100-nm-thick Co3O4 layers in an oxidized directionally solidified CoO-ZrO2 eutectic, with the highest O levels near the ZrO2. The energy-loss near-edge structures were dramatically different for the two cobalt oxides: those for Co3O4 have been incorrectly ascribed to CoO in the published literature. Kinetically stabilized solid solubility occurred in an AIN-SiC film grown by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on α(6H)-SiC, and no detectable interdiffusion occurred in couples of MBE-grown AIN on SiC following annealing at up to 1750°C. In diffusion couples of polycrystalline AIN on SiC, interfacial 8H sialon (aluminum oxy-nitride) and pockets of Si3N4-rich β'sialon in the SiC were detected.
To assess the adhesion of nitride coatings on metals, titanium 6% aluminum 4% vanadium substrates were coated with titanium nitride (TiN) using both cathodic arc and electron beam evaporation. Titanium aluminum nitride ((Ti, Al)N) was also deposited using cathodic arc evaporation. The interfaces of the coated samples were loaded in tension using a high speed shock wave which caused spallation either at the interface, in the coating or in the metal. Scanning acoustic microscopy analysis of the spalled samples detected delaminations at the interface in the samples deposited by cathodic arc evaporation. DYNA2D modeling of plate impact spallation experiments revealed the tensile adhesion strength for TiN deposited by both techniques was ≈ 2.0 GPa. The tensile adhesion strength for (Ti, Al)N was less than 1.5 GPa.
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