Stability of Solid State Reaction Fronts

We analyze the stability of a planar solid-solid interface at which a chemical reaction occurs. Examples include oxidation, nitridation, or silicide formation. Using a continuum model, including a general formula for the stress-dependence of the reaction rate, we show that stress effects can render a planar interface dynamically unstable with respect to perturbations of intermediate wavelength

The Ti/c-Si solid state reaction : I. An ellipsometrical study

This paper is the first of a series of three articles in which we present the results and analyses of an extended study of the c-Si/Ti solid state reaction. In this paper we will discuss the spectroscopic ellipsometric investigation. Thin (≈10nm) Ti films are grown on clean Si(111) surfaces and are subsequently heated. The Si indiffusion and the Si-Ti intermixing are continuously registered by three-wavelengths ellipsometry. Two metastable intermediate phases are observed to form before the final state is obtained Spectroscopic ellipsometry (E = 2−4.5 eV) is used to characterize the as-deposited layer, the metastable intermediate phase and the final state. Analysis of these spectra shows that: (1) Si and Ti intermix during the initial Ti deposition, (2) a fast reordering of the Ti atoms occurs when the system is slightly heated (≈175°C), (3) a metastable, probably monosilicide phase with a large Si concentration gradient is obtained at ≈350°C, (4) a homogeneous metastable TiSi2 forms at ≈450°C, at ≈700°C a roughened TiSi2 layer with a surplus of c-Si is formed

Dominant moving species in the formation of amorphous NiZr by solid-state reaction

The displacements of W and Hf markers have been monitored by backscattering of MeV He to study the growth of the amorphous NiZr phase by solid-state reaction. We find that the Ni is the dominant moving species in this reaction

LaAlO3:Mn4+ as near-infrared emitting persistent luminescence phosphor for medical imaging : a charge compensation study

Mn4+-activated phosphors are emerging as a novel class of deep red/near-infrared emitting persistent luminescence materials for medical imaging as a promising alternative to Cr3+-doped nanomaterials. Currently, it remains a challenge to improve the afterglow and photoluminescence properties of these phosphors through a traditional high-temperature solid-state reaction method in air. Herein we propose a charge compensation strategy for enhancing the photoluminescence and afterglow performance of Mn4+-activated LaAlO3 phosphors. LaAlO3:Mn4+ (LAO:Mn4+) was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction in air. The charge compensation strategies for LaAlO3:Mn4+ phosphors were systematically discussed. Interestingly, Cl-/Na+/Ca2+/Sr2+/Ba2+/Ge4+ co-dopants were all found to be beneficial for enhancing LaAlO3:Mn4+ luminescence and afterglow intensity. This strategy shows great promise and opens up new avenues for the exploration of more promising near-infrared emitting long persistent phosphors for medical imaging

The Ti/c-Si solid state reaction : III. The low-temperature reaction kinetics

Thin Ti layers (≈10nm) are grown on top of a clean Si(111) substrate. Heating these layers initiates a solid state reaction, yielding a monosilicide phase at ≈350°C and a C49 disilicide at ≈450°C. The present study concerns the growth kinetics of both phases by means of ellipsometry. A diffusion-limited growth kinetics is found for the monosilicide formation. However, two growth rates are observed, a fast initial one and a slow terminal growth rate. An enhanced Si diffusion in atomically disordered regions as compared to well ordered regions (grains or clusters) could be an explanation. From the measurements we have found a value of 2×10-15 cm2/s for the diffusion coefficient at ≈370°C and an activation energy of 0.62 ± 0.1 eV. Both values correspond to the fast process. Subsequently increasing the temperature to ≈450°C permits the growth of the homogeneous C49 TiSi2 phase. For this process, both planar layer growth and intermixing are observed, however, quantitative results could not be derived from the present study

Maximum thickness of amorphous NiZr interlayers formed by a solid-state reaction technique

Formation of the equilibrium intermetallic compound NiZr in sputter deposited Ni/Zr diffusion couples is suppressed by the formation of a metastable amorphous NiZr alloy until a critical thickness of the amorphous NiZr interlayer is reached. The temperature dependence of this critical thickness is studied experimentally. A phenomenological model based on the premise of interfacial heterogeneous nucleation is proposed to understand the evolution of Ni/Zr diffusion couples

Developing A Model Approximation Method and Parameter Estimates for Solid State Reaction Kinetics

The James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility was built to research solar chemistry and currently being used to research the change in metal oxides such as iron or magnesium oxide that act as a medium for the production of hydrogen from water. This is significant because hydrogen can be used in vehicles equipped with appropriate fuel cells and due the decreased cost of producing hydrogen with this method. The shrinking core model which governs this process has proved difficult to solve due to the high number of unknown constants and its non-linearity. We detail in this work the implementation of less common heuristics, mainly Particle Swarm Optimization. This technique was used because of its wide unbiased search for the possible constants. The development and method we are using to solve these unknown constants will be shown

The kinetics of titanium monosilicide growth studied by three-wavelength ellipsometry

Thin titanium layers (approximately 10 nm) have been grown on top of a clean Si(111) substrate. Heating these layers initiates a solid state reaction, yielding an amorphous monosilicide phase at about 350 °C. The kinetics of the solid state reaction has been followed using three-wavelength ellipsometry (340, 450 and 550 nm). A very coarse two-layer model has been applied in the analyses of the measured data: a top layer of pure titanium is consumed by a second layer of TiSi. The dielectric constants of titanium and TiSi are known and the layer thicknesses d1 and d2 have been fitted to the six ellipsometrical angles measured. These analyses reveal a diffusion-limited growth mechanism exhibiting two growth rates: a rapid initial rate followed by a slower final rate. The diffusion coefficient D of the rapid process and its activation energy Ea could be obtained: D = 2 × 10−15cm2s−1atT 370 °CandEa = 0.62 eV The two growth rates have been attributed to silicon diffusion along the grains and diffusion into the grains.\ud \u