Abstract

Photonic materials for high-temperature applications need to withstand temperatures usually higher than 1000°C, whilst keeping their function. When exposed to high temperatures, such nanostructured materials are prone to detrimental morphological changes, however the structure evolution pathway of photonic materials and its correlation with the loss of material's function is not yet fully understood. Here we use high-resolution ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the structural changes in mullite inverse opal photonic crystals produced by a very-low-temperature (95°C) atomic layer deposition (ALD) super-cycle process. The 3D structural changes caused by the high-temperature exposure were quantified and associated with the distinct structural features of the ceramic photonic crystals. Other than observed in photonic crystals produced via powder colloidal suspensions or sol-gel infiltration, at high temperatures of 1400°C we detected a mass transport direction from the nano pores to the shells. We relate these different structure evolution pathways to the presence of hollow vertexes in our ALD-based inverse opal photonic crystals. Although the periodically ordered structure is distorted after sintering, the mullite inverse opal photonic crystal presents a photonic stopgap even after heat treatment at 1400°C for 100h.

Highlights

  • Photonic crystals are three-dimensional periodically ordered structures with the capability of affecting the propagation of electromagnetic radiation by a photonic band-gap [1]

  • In case of inverse opal photonic crystals produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD), the interstitial sites will never be completely filled, due to the nature of the ALD process, i.e. there is a limit for which the precursors can reach these sites and create a film

  • High-temperature stable inverse opal photonic crystals were produced by low-temperature (95 ◦C) atomic layer deposition super-cycles

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Photonic crystals are three-dimensional periodically ordered structures with the capability of affecting the propagation of electromagnetic radiation by a photonic band-gap [1]. The spectral range in which the reflection of radiation occurs is defined by the spatial ordering of the structure and its refractive index. This selective radiation propagation behavior is attractive for a variety of technological applications, such as thermo photovoltaic energy conversion devices and next-generation thermal barrier coatings (photonic TBCs) [2,3,4]. Furlan et al / Applied Materials Today 13 (2018) 359–369 performance, there is a driving force for more precise, highresolution characterization methods

Objectives
Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call