Abstract
Phase Formation kinetics in the reaction of Nb/Al multilaycred thin films were investigated using scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The first phase to form upon annealing the Nb/Al layered structure is the NbAl3 intermetallic. Its formation is clearly identified by the calorimetry to be a two stage process, which has been modeled as the nucleation and three-dimensional growth to coalescence of the product phase in the plane of the initial interface, followed by the thickening of the product layer by one-dimensional growth perpendicular to the interface plane. For the initial reaction stage the reaction front velocity is higher than can be supported by diffusional transport within the lattice adjacent to the moving interface. Thus diffusion along nonequilibrium interfaces must be the growth mechanism. The large volume fraction consumed during the initial reaction stage indicates a lower nucleation site density than expected at a Nb/Al interface at local equilibrium, suggesting that the interface transport is reducing the driving force for nucleation.
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Acknowledgements
K.C. Russell is acknowledged for helpful discussions. Support provided by: DOE BES DE-FG02-85ER45206, CMSE/NSF DMR-8802613, ATT, andl IBM Fellowships
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Coffey, K.R., Barmak, K., Rudman, D.A. et al. First Phase Formation Kinetics in the Reaction of Nb/Al. MRS Online Proceedings Library 230, 55–60 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-230-55
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-230-55