Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction Results Research Articles

Deposition pressure-controlled phase tailoring and stability of β-W for spintronic applications

Understanding the nucleation and growth of tungsten (W) is technologically important in spin-to-charge interconversion for realizing energy-efficient spintronic devices. Here, we have systematically investigated the effect of Ar deposition pressure (PAr) on the nucleation and growth of W. The observed surface topography as a function of PAr reveals a microstructural transition from zone T to zone 1 in the structure zone model. The physical origin for the increasing roughness as a function of PAr correlates with the surface diffusion of adatoms and growth kinetics in the Volmer–Weber growth mechanism. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) results show that W exhibits a structural phase transition from a mixed phase of (α+β)-W to a single phase of β-W as a function of PAr. The analysis of the electron diffraction patterns obtained from the films grown on amorphous-SiNx windows also supports these observations. The observed transition is fundamentally correlated with the growth kinetics in zone T and zone I. Thickness-dependent GIXRD results qualitatively prove that the film grown in zone T exhibits compressive strain, whereas that grown in zone I exhibits only tensile strain. The critical thickness for the phase transition is strongly attributed to the strain during nucleation and growth. The increasing resistivity as a function of PAr corroborates the change in structural phases. Thickness-dependent resistivity measurements correlate with the degree of crystallinity via relative intensity observed from the GIXRD results. Our results strongly suggest that W structural phases can be deterministically controlled via PAr for developing low-power spintronic devices.

The effect of Cr-content on the corrosion behavior of Ti0.5Mo0.5CoNiMnCrx high-entropy alloy thin films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering

The present study aims to investigate the impact of Cr-content on the corrosion behavior of Ti0.5Mo0.5CoNiMnCrx high-entropy alloy thin films (HEATFs) fabricated through direct current magnetron sputtering. The microstructure and chemical composition of the HEATFs were characterized using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The corrosion performance of the HEATFs was evaluated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization tests in 1 M NaCl and 0.5 M H2SO4 solutions. The GIXRD, FESEM, and TEM results confirmed a uniform amorphous structure of the HEATFs. EIS analysis and assessment of fitted parameters indicated the formation of a protective passive film during immersion in 1 M NaCl at the open circuit potential (OCP), in contrast to the behavior observed in 0.5 M H2SO4. Moreover, all the HEATFs exhibited superior corrosion resistance compared to the 316 L stainless steel substrate, as evidenced by the potentiodynamic polarization curves obtained in both 1 M NaCl and 0.5 M H2SO4 environments.

Low-temperature, single-source, chemical vapor deposition of molybdenum nitride thin films

The 1,4-di-tert-butyl-1,3-diazabutadiene adduct of bis(tert-butylimido)dichloro-molybdenum(VI), (tBuN)2MoCl2⋅dad, was used as a single-source precursor for the chemical vapor deposition of molybdenum nitride from 350–600 °C. Deposition at 400 °C had a growth rate of 55 nm h−1 and was comprised of a mixture of Mo2N and MoN, based on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction results. The films are essentially featureless and are as smooth as the underlying substrate, based on atomic force microscopy measurements. Because the depositions could be carried out at a low temperature, there was minimal carbon (1.4%) inclusion in the film as shown by XPS.

Capabilities of Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction in the Investigation of Amorphous Mixed Oxides with Variable Composition.

X-ray Diffraction has been fully exploited as a probe to investigate crystalline materials. However, very little research has been carried out to unveil its potentialities towards amorphous materials. In this work, we demonstrated the capabilities of Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) as a simple and fast tool to obtain quantitative information about the composition of amorphous mixed oxides. In particular, we evidenced that low angle scattering features, associated with local structure parameters, show a significant trend as a function of the oxide composition. This evolution can be quantified by interpolating GIXRD data with a linear combination of basic analytical functions, making it possible to build up GIXRD peak-sample composition calibration curves. As a case study, the present method was demonstrated on Ta2O5–SiO2 amorphous films deposited by RF-magnetron sputtering. GIXRD results were validated by independent measurement of the oxide composition using Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). These materials are attracting interest in different industrial sectors and, in particular, in photovoltaics as anti-reflection coatings. Eventually, the optical properties measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry were correlated to the chemical composition of the film. The obtained results highlighted not only a correlation between diffraction features and the composition of amorphous films but also revealed a simple and fast strategy to characterize amorphous thin oxides of industrial interest.

Influence of Si doping on the microstructure and hardness of an AlTiSiN coating deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition

The effect of Si doping on the microstructure and hardness of an AlTiSiN coating deposited by the low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method was studied in detail using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and a nanoindenter instrument. The results show that Al0.82Ti0.18N coating exhibits a typical columnar crystal structure, while Al0.88Ti0.09Si0.03N and Al0.82Ti0.08Si0.10N coatings show a fine equiaxed crystal structure. The number of internal substructures (dislocation, stacking fault, etc.) decreased, while the volume fraction of the amorphous structure increased with the increase of Si content. The results of GIXRD and HRTEM show that all AlTiSiN samples mainly consist of fcc AlN phase with a small amount of hcp AlN phase. Furthermore, a small amount of fcc TiN phase can only be observed in Al0.82Ti0.08Si0.10N coating. The hardness of Al0.82Ti0.18N, Al0.88Ti0.09Si0.03N, and Al0.82Ti0.08Si0.10N coatings is 33.0 ± 0.6 GPa, 38.3 ± 1.2 GPa and 27.0 ± 0.8 GPa, respectively. Al0.88Ti0.09Si0.03N coating has obvious potential value for industrial applications.

Characterization of bi-layers formed over maraging steel 300 during aging process with steam atmosphere by GIXRD and SEM

Maraging steels are martensitic steels hardened by precipitation during thermal aging, with good machining properties and high strength and corrosion resistance. It is well suited for applications which require high strength-to-weight material, being used in aerospace, aeronautics and nuclear industries. A protective and corrosion resistant oxide layer can be formed during age hardening if treated in steam atmosphere. This work aims to use grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) to evaluate qualitatively the thickness of the layers formed during this process. GIXRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to identify and order the layered structure formed on four specimens of maraging steel grade 300 with different surface finishes that were previously solution annealed twice at (950 ± 5) °C for 1 h, air-cooled, and submitted to oxidation process under positive pressure around 1.5 kPa of steam at (480 ± 5) °C for 6 h followed by forced air cooling. The diffraction patterns were measured employing CuKα radiation and parallel beam, in step scan mode, using incident angles varying from 0.2º to 4.0º and 20º < 2θ < 85º. The results revealed the formation of two layers, the innermost was formed by γ-iron (austenite – fcc) phase followed by a mixture of oxides (hematite and magnetite) on the top, regardless of surface finish, which was confirmed by the SEM analysis that also allowed the measurement of the average layer’s thickness of oxides (1.130 ± 0.094) µm and austenite (0.507 ± 0.090) µm phases, and corroborated the qualitative thicknesses analysis made from GIXRD results.

On the Surface Residual Stress Measurement in Magnesium Alloys Using X-Ray Diffraction.

X-ray penetration in magnesium alloys is significant due to the low X-ray mass attenuation coefficient. To measure the surface residual stresses in magnesium alloys, a correction needs to be made to account for penetration depth. The residual stresses in as-received and shot peened AZ31B-H24 rolled sheet samples were measured using two-dimensional X-ray diffraction (2D-XRD) method. The electro-polishing layer removal method was used to find the residual stress pattern at the surface and through the depth. The results show that the corrected residual stresses in a few tens of micrometers layer from the surface differ from the raw stresses. To better estimate the residual stress distribution in the surface, the grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) technique was applied. Additionally, micrographs of the lateral cross-section of the peened specimens confirmed the presence of microcracks in this region, causing the residual stresses to vanish. Due to the low X-ray absorption coefficient of Mg alloys, this study shows how a small uncertainty in a single raw measurement leads to high uncertainty in the corrected residual stresses. The results were corroborated with the hole drilling method of residual stress measurements. The corrected X-ray diffraction (XRD) results are in close agreement with the hole drilling and GIXD results.

Multiphase titanium suboxides films grown on glass substrate: Surface energy, wettability and morphology analysis

Thin films of titanium suboxides were deposited through grid-assisted magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at different temperatures (room, 373 K, 473 K, 573 K and 673 K). The physical, chemical and morphological properties of the samples were measured by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. GIXRD and XPS results indicate a miscellaneous of suboxides (TiOx) growing on substrate at temperatures of 473 K, 573 K and 673 K. Contact angle analyses show significant increase in surface energy after irradiation of the films with UV light. Results allow us to conclude that multiphase TiOx films present photoinduced hydrophilicity, and may be employed in photocatalysis and self-cleaning applications, similarly to stoichiometric TiO2.

Impact of Deposition Potential on Structural and Magnetic Properties of Nano-Crystalline CoFe Alloy Thin Films

The influence of the electrodeposition potential on the compositional, magnetic, and microstructural properties of CoFe alloy thin films grown on a Cu sputtered silicon substrate was studied. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction results indicate a diffraction peak at 2θ ≈ 45° related to (110) plane of a body-centered cubic structure of CoFe alloy. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images reveal densely packed uniform nano-granular morphology in all films. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results indicate a variation in CoFe alloy film composition while varying the deposition potential, attributed to anomalous co-deposition. The magnetic hysteresis loop measurement shows films are having an easy magnetic direction oriented along in-plane, with high saturation and low coercivity. Surface and microscopic magnetization measurements prove that the deposition potential modifies the film roughness and influences the magnetic domain formation.

Investigation of short-term, high-temperature oxidation of AlCrN coating on WC substrate

A surface analysis was performed on an aluminum chromium nitride (AlCrN) coating formed on a tungsten carbide (WC) substrate subjected to short-term (in minutes) oxidation at an elevated temperature (900 °C) using focused ion beam (FIB), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD), and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). To separately analyze a coating with a thickness of several micrometers, the GI-XRD method was used. For cross-sectional imaging, the samples were milled using an FIB system, and chemical bonding states and surface elemental concentrations were analyzed by XPS. Within just a few seconds, the color of the AlCrN coating surface changed irregularly and, after 10 min, the entire coating layer surface changed. The entire coating surface oxidation as discoloration progressed in partial areas after 30 min. Based on the GI-XRD and XPS results, after 1 min, alumina and chromium oxides formed on the outermost surface, and after 10 min, Cr-W and Co-W oxide phases appeared, resulting from a reaction with WC near the interface. The atomic concentration of nitrogen in the AlCrN coating decreased after few seconds on the outermost surface and was almost eliminated after 10 min; oxygen showed the opposite trend. Finally, the FIB and LIBS results showed that voids formed within the coating layer and interface at high temperatures, and diffusion of Al and Cr in subsequent reactions was identified. This work demonstrates interesting results from various analyses that differ from previously reported AlCrN coating oxidation behaviors, and could provide a better understanding of long-term reactions for the surface oxidation of AlCrN coatings at high temperatures.

Electrochemical deposition and characterization of thin-film Cd1-xZnxS for solar cell application: The effect of cathodic deposition voltage

Cd1-xZnxS thin films have been grown by two-electrode electrodeposition method using an electrolytic bath containing cadmium chloride, zinc chloride and sodium thiosulphate. The deposition was carried out at three different cathodic voltages of 1695 mV, 1700 mV and 1705 mV. The characterization of the films was done using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). From the GIXRD results, it is observed that the films have only hexagonal phase. With increase in deposition voltage the intensities of the characteristic peaks decrease because of incorporation of more Zn into the film resulting in reduced deposition rate, and therefore thinner films. A similar trend is observed in the Raman spectroscopy results. EDX results reveal that increase in deposition voltage increases the amount of zinc atoms incorporated into the Cd1-xZnxS thin film. Optical characterization shows that, as more Zn is incorporated into the film with increase in growth voltage, the energy band gap gradually increase from 2.42 eV to 2.51 eV, making the Cd1-xZnxS films more beneficial for application as window/buffer material in solar cells compared to CdS. The optical absorbance and transmittance of the Zn-incorporated films also decrease and increase, respectively as deposition voltage increases (i.e as more Zn is incorporated), to support this application. SEM images show uniform and densely packed surface morphology, with the grains becoming less distinctly shaped as more Zn is incorporated into the film with increase in deposition voltage.

The effect of benzotriazole gradual change on the corrosion performance of nanocomposite multilayer self-healing coating based on Titania-Alumina-Benzotriazole on AA7075

Abstract Today, lots of coatings are being used for protection against the corrosion; however, if a crack or scratch damage the coated surface, it could not protect itself. Nano-structured titanium oxide coatings have oxidation and corrosion resistance. Also, aluminum oxide coatings are widely used because of wear and corrosion resistance. In the present study, a combination of Titania and alumina and benzotriazole (C6H5N3) as an inhibitor was synthesized to create a corrosion resistant coating with self-healing properties via Sol-gel method. The gradual change in the amount of benzotriazole in layers produced different corrosion behaviors in the coatings. Microstructural and morphological behaviors of the coatings were characterized by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) analysis, Raman Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), respectively. According to GIXRD results, the structure of the formed coatings was utterly amorphous. FESEM images showed that the coatings were homogeneously formed in all specimens and achieving the nanostructured coatings with uniform distribution of grains depends on the optimal amount of Benzotriazole. According to AFM results, the thickness of all coatings was less than 200 nm. Raman spectroscopy results identified the chemical bond types such as Ti–O–Ti, Ti–O, and O–C–C groups. The corrosion behavior and self-healing properties of hybrid ceramic coating were investigated by electrochemical measurements, including Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization test in the solution of 3.5 wt % NaCl in different periods. The results showed that benzotriazole could prevent corrosion progression due to self-healing capabilities and improve the corrosion resistance of the uncoated sample about 130 times after immersion for 96 h.

In situ Characterization of Phase Transition of Amorphous Poly(9,9-di-n-octyl-2,7-fluorene) Thin Film During Thermal Annealing

Amorphous poly(9,9-di-n-octyl-2,7-fluorene)(PFO) thin films were characterized in situ via thermal annealing based on grazing incidence X-ray diffraction(GIXRD) profiles, UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR). The results of GIXRD indicated that the amorphous phase transformed into a crystalline phase when the annealing temperature was higher than 80 °C. Different outcomes were elicited for the intensities and d-spacings of the diffraction peaks below and above 80 °C, which were attributed to the formation of the κ-phase. The mechanism of phase transition was revealed by in situ UV-visible absorption and FTIR spectra, whereby the rearrangement of the side chains was dominant and the movement of the main chains was minimal, even when the annealing temperature was lower than 80 °C. In contrast, the rearrangement of the main chains was dominant when the temperature was higher than 80 °C.

Interactions of Long-Chain Perfluorotelomer Alcohol and Perfluorinated Hydrocarbons with Model Decomposer Membranes.

Perfluorinated hydrocarbons and their polar derivatives are produced annually in high quantities and find multiple industrial and technological applications due to their chemical and physical durability, significant hydro- and lipophobicity and excellent surface activity. Unfortunately, multiple perfluorinated compounds are recognized as persistent organic pollutants as they are completely nonbiodegradable and accumulate in soils and sediments. In our studies, we applied Langmuir monolayers formed by different structural phospholipids as models of soil bacteria and fungi membranes and investigated the effects exerted by long-chain perfluorinated pollutants, perfluorotelomer alcohol and two structurally different perfluorinated hydrocarbons, on the artificial membranes. Various mutually complemental methods such as surface pressure-mean molecular area isotherm registration, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) were applied. It turned out that the presence of the perfluorinated chemicals profoundly affected the phospholipid monolayers. The miscibility of the phospholipid with the perfluorotelomer alcohol depended strongly on the size and charge of the polar headgroup. Additionally, it was observed by BAM that the presence of the perfluorinated molecules significantly changed the texture of all the investigated phospholipid monolayers. On the basis of the BAM and GIXD results and other studies described in the scientific literature, we postulated that the perfluorinated hydrocarbons form an additional monolayer anchored on top of the phospholipid film. Our studies prove that both polar and nonpolar perfluorinated pollutants can be toxic to decomposer organisms and that their toxicity is strictly correlated with the phospholipid composition of the cellular membrane.

Optical, structural and photo electrochemical properties of Cd1−xZnxS films grown by chemical bath deposition

Cd1−xZnxS (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) films were fabricated by chemical bath deposition method and characterized by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–visible spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell. The flat-band potential value was found to be tunable from − 441 to − 664 mV with increasing Zn2+ concentration in the reaction solution. GIXRD results indicate that the fabricated Cd1−xZnxS are hexagonally oriented and Zn2+ is successfully introduced into CdS. SEM results indicate that high Zn2+ doping concentration can form flake-like Cd1−xZnxS morphology. Furthermore, Zn2+ incorporation to the CdS was found to enhance the optical absorbing capability of CdS in visible region. The optical band gap was found to vary as the composition parameter changed from x = 0.0 to x = 0.5 in the reaction solution. Best photoactive properties in the PEC exhibited for the samples grown with the deposition bath composition of x = 0.3.

Rapid thermal processing of hafnium dioxide thin films by remote plasma atomic layer deposition as high-k dielectrics

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films have received significant attention due to its excellent properties, such as large band gap, good thermodynamic stability, high density and high dielectric constant. The post-annealing temperature is also essential to their properties and application possibilities. In this work, HfO2 thin films were prepared on p-type silicon (100) substrates by remote plasma atomic layer deposition using tetrakis (ethylmethylamino) hafnium and remote oxygen plasma at 250 °C. The effect of rapid thermal annealing on the properties of the thin films was investigated using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and field-emission transmission electron microscope (FE-TEM). FE-TEM and GIXRD results show that the as-deposited films are mostly amorphous and the crystallization initiates at about 500 °C. They also unveil a positive correlation between interface properties of the HfO2 thin films and a dependence of the crystallinity on annealing temperature.

Influence of N2/H2 and N2 plasma on binary III-nitride films prepared by hollow-cathode plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition

The authors reported the hollow-cathode plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of AlN, GaN, and InN films using N2-only and N2/H2 plasma. In this study, the authors analyzed the effect of plasma gas composition on the properties of deposited binary III-nitride thin films. Toward this goal, AlN, GaN, and InN films were deposited on Si (100) substrates using N2-only (50 sccm), as well as N2/H2 (50 + 50, 50 + 25 sccm) plasma to investigate the impact of H2 flow. Grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) patterns of AlN and GaN thin films deposited with N2/H2 plasma remained almost unchanged when H2 flow decreased from 50 to 25 sccm. On the other hand, the use of N2 plasma without any H2 resulted in amorphous GaN thin films with significant carbon impurity within the bulk film. In the case of AlN, similar behavior was observed as the crystal structure is significantly altered to amorphouslike material. Thicknesses of AlN and GaN thin films increased tremendously when N2-only was used as the plasma gas. Furthermore, refractive index values of both AlN and GaN films decreased upon the use of N2-only plasma, which confirm the deterioration of the film quality. Structural weaknesses of GaN and AlN films deposited with N2-only plasma are due to presences of carbon impurities that are trapped inside the growing film. Interestingly, the authors did not observe similar results in InN films grown with N2/H2 plasma. For InN, GIXRD and spectroscopic ellipsometry results show that the phases of deposited films change from InN to In+InN as H2 content in the plasma gas is increased. On the other hand, InN films grown with N2-only plasma show improved structural properties. However, significantly higher N2 plasma exposure times are needed to minimize the residual carbon content in deposited InN layers.

Influence of annealing temperature on morphologies and crystallinity of pure and blended diketopyrrolopyrrole-containing oligothiophene thin films

We investigated the variations in solution-processed thin films containing pure diketopyrrolopyrrole-containing oligothiophene (SMDPPEH) or SMDPPEH blended with [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) under the different annealing temperatures. The optical properties, microstructures, and surface morphologies of the two types of thin films were characterized with UV–vis absorption spectra, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). SMDPPEH thin film annealed at 100°C exhibited a blue-shift of absorption maximum (λmax) peaks. GIXRD results of two types of films showed that (100) diffraction peak intensities were enhanced by increasing annealing temperatures and their shapes were changed from dot to arc when annealing temperatures were beyond 100°C. AFM results showed that the films grain sizes increased as annealing temperature increased. AFM results also showed obvious large-size phase segregation in the films as annealing temperature increased to 125°C. These results indicated that the crystallinity improved with increasing annealing temperature and a phase transition occurred in SMDPPEH films at the annealing temperature of 100°C. This phase transition may lead to maximum device performance.

Controlled Growth of Conductive AlN Thin Films by Plasma-Assisted Reactive Evaporation

In this work, the growth of conductive AlN thin films by plasma-assisted reactive evaporation at different filament-to-substrate distances was presented and discussed. The elemental composition, surface morphology, structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films were examined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), optical measurement, and current–voltage (I–V) characterizations. The electrical study revealed that the films are conductive, as ohmic conductivity was observed from I–V results. The GIXRD results of AlN thin films showed that by decreasing the distance, the intensity of the peak corresponding to metallic Al decreases while that of AlN increases. EDX and XPS results indicated that at shorter distances, the incorporation of N into the AlN films is enhanced. This was further confirmed by FTIR results, which showed that the incorporation of Al-N bonds in the grown AlN films was enhanced by decreasing the distance. It was shown that the optical absorption edge of the grown films shifts from the near-ultraviolet (UV) region to far-UV as the distance is decreased.

SrZrO3 Formation at the Interlayer/Electrolyte Interface during (La1-xSrx)1-δCo1-yFeyO3 Cathode Sintering

This work probes the formation of SrZrO3 at the SDC/YSZ interface (Sm doped ceria, SDC; Y stabilized zirconia, YSZ) during (La1-xSrx)1-δCo1-yFeyO3 (LSCF) cathode sintering. SEM/EDS and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction results of annealed LSCF and YSZ samples reveal that even without physical contact between LSCF and YSZ, SrZrO3 was formed on the surface of YSZ, preferentially at the grain boundaries. It was suspected that the SrZrO3 formation is due to the Sr-containing gas species diffused through the pores of the SDC layer and reacted with the YSZ electrolyte. Computational thermodynamics was adopted to predict the gas species formed in air during sintering by using the La-Sr-Co-Fe-O-H thermodynamic database. Sr(OH)2 is identified as the dominant Sr-containing gas species under the experimental conditions. In addition, it was found that A-site deficiency in LSCF could effectively suppress the SrZrO3 formation while a dense and pore-free SDC interlayer is required to totally block the SrZrO3 formation. Cell performance was significantly improved for a cell with a dense SDC interlayer fabricated by pulsed laser deposition, due to elimination of SrZrO3 formation and therefore reduced interfacial resistance.