Abstract
Single crystal, homoepitaxial α-Al 2 O 3 films containing nanoscale ZrO 2 inclusions were grown on basal-plane, sapphire substrate. The substrates were coated with an aqueous solution containing aluminium nitrate and zirconium acetate and heat treated at 1200 °C. Powders were also prepared from these precursors by spray pyrolysis and heat treatment. XRD and TEM analyses confirmed the expected nonequilibrium phase evolution from an amorphous inorganic to γ-Al 2 O 3 to γ-Al 2 O 3 + tetragonal ZrO 2 to α-Al 2 O 3 + tetragonal ZrO 2 . Cross-sectional TEM of the films confirmed homoepitaxy and the random spatial distribution of spherical, tetragonal ZrO2 inclusions approximately 20 nm in diameter. Nanoindentation studies show that these inclusions at 2, 5, and 15 vol% do not significantly affect the room temperature hardness of alumina.
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