Critical length scales for chemical heterogeneity at Cu/Nb 3D interfaces by atom probe tomography. (15th January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Zezhou; Cheng, Justin Y.; Poplawsky, Jonathan D.; Xu, Shuozhi; Baldwin, Jon K.; Beyerlein, Irene J.; Mara, Nathan A.
• Is Part Of: Scripta materialia. Number 223(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-01-15
• Subjects: 3D interfaces -- Cu/Nb nanolaminates -- Physical vapor deposition -- Atom probe tomography -- Surface diffusion; Materials -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Metalen; Legeringen; Materiaalkunde; Metals, metalworking and machinery industries; Metals; Electronic journals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2022.115078
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6462

Abstract

Abstract: Cu/Nb nanocomposites containing sharp, two-dimensional (2D) interfaces have outstanding strength but limited deformability. In contrast, Cu/Nb with three dimensional (3D) biphase interfaces exhibiting crystallographic, topological, and chemical variations in all spatial dimensions overcomes this limitation by simultaneously enhancing material strength and deformability. While structural characterization of 3D interfaces has been performed to understand their mechanical behavior, three dimensional chemical characterization of such interfaces is lacking. In this work we quantify the local chemistry of 3D interfaces in Cu/Nb nanocomposites using atom probe tomography (APT). Our analysis demonstrates chemical heterogeneities along all spatial dimensions in 3D interfaces, establishes the length scale of such features, and quantifies the morphology of 3D interfaces. 3D interface heterogeneities form by surface diffusion during physical vapor deposition (PVD), suggesting that deposition parameters can be used to control interface structure and provide unique ways to explore processing-structure-property relationships in interface-dominated nanocomposites. Graphical abstract: Image, graphical abstract