Evolution of the phase-structure state during annealing of Fe-ZrN films grown by magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The evolution of the phase-structure state of Fe-ZrN films grown by RF magnetron sputtering and annealed at T = 200–650°C has been studied by transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. It has been found that the initial state of the film contains 1- to 5-nm crystallites of α-Fe-based solid solution supersaturated with nitrogen. The number of such crystallites increases, the concentration of nitrogen in them decreases and 2- to 10-nm nanocrystallites of ZrN and Fe2N nitride phases appear after annealing. The formation of zirconium nitride at the first stage (200–500°C) is associated with a decrease in the degree of supersaturation of the α-Fe lattice with nitrogen. At a higher annealing temperature (650°C), a decrease in the nitrogen concentration in the lattices of both the bcc Fe and zirconium nitride phase leads to the formation of iron nitride crystallites.