Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin Films
Co-deposited, immiscible alloy systems form hierarchical microstructures under specific deposition conditions that accentuate the difference in constituent element mobility. The mechanism leading to the formation of these unique hierarchical morphologies during the deposition process is difficult to...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/10/2635 |
| _version_ | 1797513651583713280 |
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| author | Max Powers James A. Stewart Rémi Dingreville Benjamin K. Derby Amit Misra |
| author_facet | Max Powers James A. Stewart Rémi Dingreville Benjamin K. Derby Amit Misra |
| author_sort | Max Powers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Co-deposited, immiscible alloy systems form hierarchical microstructures under specific deposition conditions that accentuate the difference in constituent element mobility. The mechanism leading to the formation of these unique hierarchical morphologies during the deposition process is difficult to identify, since the characterization of these microstructures is typically carried out post-deposition. We employ phase-field modeling to study the evolution of microstructures during deposition combined with microscopy characterization of experimentally deposited thin films to reveal the origin of the formation mechanism of hierarchical morphologies in co-deposited, immiscible alloy thin films. Our results trace this back to the significant influence of a local compositional driving force that occurs near the surface of the growing thin film. We show that local variations in the concentration of the vapor phase near the surface, resulting in nuclei (i.e., a cluster of atoms) on the film’s surface with an inhomogeneous composition, can trigger the simultaneous evolution of multiple concentration modulations across multiple length scales, leading to hierarchical morphologies. We show that locally, the concentration must be above a certain threshold value in order to generate distinct hierarchical morphologies in a single domain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:19:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d900b8b768de429ba93026f63f054517 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:19:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-d900b8b768de429ba93026f63f0545172023-11-22T19:24:27ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912021-10-011110263510.3390/nano11102635Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin FilmsMax Powers0James A. Stewart1Rémi Dingreville2Benjamin K. Derby3Amit Misra4Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USAEnergetic Materials Dynamic & Reactive Science Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USACenter for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USACenter for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USADepartment of Material Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USACo-deposited, immiscible alloy systems form hierarchical microstructures under specific deposition conditions that accentuate the difference in constituent element mobility. The mechanism leading to the formation of these unique hierarchical morphologies during the deposition process is difficult to identify, since the characterization of these microstructures is typically carried out post-deposition. We employ phase-field modeling to study the evolution of microstructures during deposition combined with microscopy characterization of experimentally deposited thin films to reveal the origin of the formation mechanism of hierarchical morphologies in co-deposited, immiscible alloy thin films. Our results trace this back to the significant influence of a local compositional driving force that occurs near the surface of the growing thin film. We show that local variations in the concentration of the vapor phase near the surface, resulting in nuclei (i.e., a cluster of atoms) on the film’s surface with an inhomogeneous composition, can trigger the simultaneous evolution of multiple concentration modulations across multiple length scales, leading to hierarchical morphologies. We show that locally, the concentration must be above a certain threshold value in order to generate distinct hierarchical morphologies in a single domain.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/10/2635physical vapor depositioncomposition modulationphase orderingphase-field modeling |
| spellingShingle | Max Powers James A. Stewart Rémi Dingreville Benjamin K. Derby Amit Misra Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin Films Nanomaterials physical vapor deposition composition modulation phase ordering phase-field modeling |
| title | Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin Films |
| title_full | Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin Films |
| title_fullStr | Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin Films |
| title_full_unstemmed | Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin Films |
| title_short | Compositionally-Driven Formation Mechanism of Hierarchical Morphologies in Co-Deposited Immiscible Alloy Thin Films |
| title_sort | compositionally driven formation mechanism of hierarchical morphologies in co deposited immiscible alloy thin films |
| topic | physical vapor deposition composition modulation phase ordering phase-field modeling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/10/2635 |
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