Order-disorder phase transition in CoPd thin films

The thin films of a CoPd alloy in the equiatomic composition region are prepared by condensation at different substrate temperatures. The substrate temperature is varied from the liquid nitrogen temperature to +280°C. At low substrate temperatures, the crystal structure of the condensed films is the single-crystal blocks of the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase. As the substrate temperature is further increased, the domains characterized in the initial state by the microdiffraction patterns in the form of a diffuse halo appear in the films, and these domains have a clear-cut boundary with the regions indicated by point reflections in the electron diffraction patterns. At substrate temperatures from +150 to 160°C, the CoPd alloy films in the equiatomic composition region are fully amorphous. The given state is a polymorphic transformation of the martensitic type. It arises in the martensitic transformation of the low-temperature hcp phase to the high-temperature fcc phase. Original Russian Text ? E.M. Artem’ev, M.E. Artem’ev, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 11, pp. 838–840.     

Structure of heterogeneous states in nanocrystalline CoPd films

Thin films of equiatomic alloy CoPd have been produced by condensation at high substrate temperatures. The films obtained are characterized by microdiffraction patterns in the form of diffuse halo in the initial state. This is polymorphic martensitic transient state, formed during martensitic transformation of the low-temperature hcp phase to the high-temperature fcc phase. The metastable crystal structures arising in these alloy films are identified.     

Structure of heterogeneous states and magnetic properties of CoPd nanocrystalline films

Thin films of a CoPd equiatomic alloy have been obtained by condensation at a high substrate temperature. In their initial states, they are characterized by a microdiffraction pattern in the form of a diffuse halo. This state is a polymorphic martensite-type transformation, which occurs for the martensite transition from the low-temperature hexagonal close-packed phase to the high-temperature face-centered cubic one. Crystalline metastable structures formed in films of this alloy have been identified, and their magnetic characteristics have been determined.     

Transformation behavior of Ni-Mn-Ga/Si(100) thin film composites with different film thicknesses

A series of Ni_51.4Mn_28.3Ga_20.3/Si(100) thin film composites with different film thicknesses varying from 0.1 to 5 μm have been prepared by magnetron sputtering and subsequently annealed. X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the films show the features associated with the lattice-modulated martensitic phase and/or cubic austenite at room temperature. 220-fiber texture was confirmed by the X-rays measurements made at 150 °C. While the Curie temperature is almost film thickness independent, the martensitic transformation temperature shows a strong descended dependence in the submicron range. The substrate curvature measurements demonstrate that the forward and reverse martensitic transformation in the films is accompanied by the reversible relaxation and accumulation of residual stress, originally created by the thermal treatment due to the difference in thermal expansion of the film and substrate. The values of residual stresses measured by both substrate curvature and X-rays diffraction methods at constant temperatures are found to be dependent on the film thickness. This behavior appears in correlation with the thickness dependence of the transformation temperature.     

Magnetic properties and metastable states of Co-Ir films

The phase composition, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of Co_{1 ? x} Ir _x alloy films with x = 0.35–0.8 and fabricated by chemical deposition are studied. Saturation magnetization vs. composition and temperature, coercivity, and magnetization reversal of the films are investigated experimentally. It is shown that in the region of equiatomic composition, Co-Ir films have a two-phase hexagonal close-packed structure that alternates with disordered regions, producing halos in electron diffraction patterns.     

Cold brittleness and fracture of metals with various crystal lattices: Dislocation mechanisms

The dislocation mechanisms of formation of the ductile–brittle transition temperature and the low-temperature brittle fracture of metals (single crystals, polycrystals) with various crystal lattices (bcc, fcc, hcp) are considered. The conditions of appearance of cold shortness and intracrystalline crack propagation (brittle fracture) are determined. These conditions can be met in bcc and some hcp metals and cannot be met in fcc and many hcp metals. The nondestructive internal friction (at 100 kHz) method is used to determine the temperature ranges of cold shortness (ductile–brittle transition temperatures) in bcc metals (ferritic–martensitic EK-181 steel, V–4Ti–4Cr alloy), which depend on their structure–phase state and strength (yield strength).     

Microstructural evolution and martensitic transformation mechanisms during solidification processes of liquid metal Pb

The microstructural evolution and the martensitic transformation (bcc–hcp and bcc–fcc) mechanisms during the solidification process of liquid metal Pb were studied by molecular dynamics simulation. Results indicate that, with the decrease of temperature, the system undergoes two phase transitions: from the liquid state into a metastable bcc phase first and then from the bcc phase into a coexisting crystal structure of hcp and fcc phases. Moreover, the complicated martensitic transformation processes are clearly observed by cluster type index method (CTIM) and the tracing method. The two transformation mechanisms are very analogous at the atomic level; the essential difference between them is that, in the bcc–hcp transformation, two adjacent layers shift in opposite directions, whereas in the bcc–fcc transformation, the top layer and bottom layer shift in opposite directions relative to the middle layer. The specific mechanisms for the bcc–hcp and bcc–fcc transformations are confirmed to correspond to the revised Burgers mechanism and Bain mechanism, respectively.     

The effect of Si content on the martensitic transfor-mation temperature of Ni55.5e18Ga26.5-xSix alloys

This paper investigates the effects of substitution of Si for Ga on the martensitic transformation behaviours in Ni-Fe-Ga alloys by using optical metallographic microscope and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods. The structure type of Ni_55.5Fe₁₈Ga_26.5-xSi_x alloys is determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD), and the XRD patterns show the microstructure of Ni-Fe-Ga-Si alloys transformed from body-centred tetragonal martensite (with Si content x = 0) to body-centred cubic austenite (with x = 2) at room temperature. The martensitic transformation temperatures of the Ni_55.5Fe₁₈Ga_26.5-xSi_x alloys decrease almost linearly with increasing Si content in the Si content range of x ≤ 3. Thermal treatment also plays an important role on martensitic transformation temperatures in the Ni-Fe-Ga-Si alloy. The valence electronic concentrations, size factor, L2₁ degree of order and strength of parent phase influence the martensitic transformation temperatures of the Ni-Fe-Ga-Si alloys. An understanding of the relationship between martensitic transformation temperatures and Si content will be significant for designing an appropriate Ni-Fe-Ga-Si alloy for a specific application at a given temperature.     

Ni53.2Mn22.6Ga24.2单晶的两步热弹性马氏体相变及其应力应变特性

对具有两步完全热弹性的Ni_53.2Mn_22.6Ga_24.2单晶的物性采用多种测量手段进行了表征,特别研究了不同温度下的应力-应变特性.研究表明,热诱发的中间马氏体相变应变远大于马氏体相变应变.在较低的形变温度下,沿单晶母相［001］方向的压应力诱发的是两步马氏体相变,材料表现出赝弹性;在较高的形变温度下,只能观察到一步马氏体相变,材料展现出完全超弹性特性.此外,利用热力学理论分别计算了诱发马氏体相变和中间马氏体相变的临界应力与形变温度的关系,与实验测量得到的结果相符. 关键词： 马氏体相变 形状记忆效应 应变 超弹性     

18 MeV质子辐照对TiNi形状记忆合金R相变的影响

 研究了用HZ-B串列加速器的18MeV质子辐照对TiNi形状记忆合金R相变的影响，辐照在奥氏体母相状态下进行。示差扫描量热法（DSC）表明，辐照后R相变开始温度T^s_R和逆马氏体相变结束温度T^f_A随辐照注量的增加而降低。当注量为1.53×10¹⁴/cm²时，T^sR和T^f_A分别下降6K和13K，辐照未引起R相变结束温度T^s_R和逆马氏体相变开始温度T^f_A的变化。表明辐照后母相(奥氏体相)稳定。透射电镜（TEM）分析表明辐照后没有引起合金可观察的微观组织变化。辐照对R相变开始温度T^s_{R和逆马氏体相变结束温度Af的影响可能是由于质子辐照后产生了孤立的缺陷团，形成了局部应力场，引起晶格有序度的下降所造成的。}     

Mössbauer study of the martensitic transformation in a Ni–Fe–Ga shape memory alloy

We present the results of an extensive Mössbauer study of the magnetic and martensitic transformation at room temperature of a polycrystalline alloy with a Ni₅₅Fe₁₉Ga₂₆ nominal composition. From calorimetric measurements, we have determined the martensitic transformation temperature of T _M ≈ 240 K, in good agreement with the one obtained by magnetic characterization. This sample has a Curie temperature of T _C ≈ 287 K. Additional Curie temperatures, belonging to a γ phase, have been also detected. Mössbauer spectroscopy performed at different temperatures monitored all these transformations and the fitting of the obtained spectrum at the highest temperature allow us to give percentages of the different phases in the sample.     

Neutron-irradiation-induced shape memory effect in a TiNi alloy

The recovery of inelastic strains in Ti-Ni alloy samples irradiated in a nuclear reactor under isothermal conditions was studied. Before irradiation, the cylindrical samples were compressed to a residual strain of 3–6% in the martenstici state at room temperature. The samples were irradiated at a temperature of 45°C, which does not exceed the temperature of the onset of the reverse martensitic transformation A _S . Irradiation with a fastneutron fluence of 5 × 10²⁰ cm^?2 is established to result in the recovery of the residual strain. The value of the recoverable strain is comparable to that observed under the conditions of the shape memory effect on heating of the deformed alloy and even somewhat exceeds it. The obtained data show that neutron irradiation can induce the shape-memory effect in the TiNi alloy. This is due to a decrease in the temperatures of the martensitic transformations under irradiation.     

A study of the electrodeposition of Co–Cu alloys thin films on FTO substrate

In this work, the early stages and the properties of the electrodeposition process of Co–Cu alloys thin films on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated conducting glass substrate from a sulfate bath were investigated using conventional electrochemical techniques and X-ray diffraction technique (XRD). FTO was chosen as a foreign substrate because of its high transparence and its properties as inert material. Within the potential range analyzed, the kinetics of the Co–Cu electrodeposition corresponded to a model including instantaneous nucleation on active sites and diffusion controlled cluster growth. The number of active sites of the substrate, N ₀, and the diffusion coefficient, D, were determined from the analysis of potentiostatic current transients on the basis of existing theoretical models. XRD patterns of the Co–Cu alloys thin films display fcc and hcp phase, with peaks quite close to those of the Co phase (fcc and hcp). Therefore, the variation of the composition of thin films alloy is possible depending on the deposition potential.     

铜金二元系中超结构的形成与点阵间隔的变迁

本文用X射线衍射的方法全面地研究了Cu-Au二元系合金经不同时间(一个月、三个月、六个月、一年)熟炼后缓冷到室温,以及在300℃和600℃淬炼后的物相与相转变过程;精确地测定了点阵间隔,以研究其随成份和热处理的变迁;探讨了长周期超结构的堆垜周期同成份和温度的关系;并用保持不同热处理时间后淬炼的方法来研究等原子成份处的有序化过程。在上述的热处理条件下,整个二元系共出现了六种不同的相:α₁是Au在Cu中的固溶体,α′₁是相当于Cu₃Au的超结构,α₂是Cu在Au中的固溶体,α′₂是相当于CuAu₃的超结构,k是相当于CuAuⅠ的超结构,k′是相当于CuAuⅡ的超结构。值得注意的是,随着热处理时间的加长,有序区逐渐扩大,二相区逐渐缩小,在一年缓冷的合金,二相区几乎完全消失。因此作者认为:Cu-Au系的二相共存是处于介稳状态,以α′₂相而论,最清晰的超结构线并不出现在化学计量成份而在68at.％Au。在等原子成份两边所出现的k′相,当合金经一年熟炼之后,一部分又变成了k相,在等原子成份处,k相和k′相的最高转变温度都并不恰好在等原子成份,而在于或小于49at.％Au。点阵间隔的量度表明:基本单胞平均点阵间隔同成份的关系是正偏离Vegard定律的连续曲线。在α和α′相区内,α值随Au含量而递增。在Au含量小于等原子成份的k′相区内,α值随Au含量而递增,c值则反而递减,同时c/α愈来愈偏离1。而在Au含量大于等原子成份的k′相区内,α值随Au含量的增加而缓慢地下降,c值却随之急速上升,同时c/α愈来愈趋向于1。当k′相转变为k相或k相转变为k′相时,α和c均发生突然的跃变。以热处理时间对点阵间隔的关系而论,在α,α′及k相区内,凡相状态不随熟炼时间而变的部分,点阵间隔在实验条件的范围内是恒定的。在α′₂相区内,从无序相转变到有序相时发生点阵间隔的明显下降,在k′相区内,则凡Au含量小于等原子成份的合金,α值随处理时间而递增,c则递减;而Au含量大于等原子成份的合金,α和c都随处理时间的加长而递减。但在所有k′相区内,同一成份合金的基本单胞体积都随处理时间的增加而减小,作者因此认为:应该把基本单胞的体积作为有序度的普通量度。本文详尽地讨论了k′结构超结构线的指数出现规律和它同k结构超结构线指数的对应关系。从在k到k′的变化中劈裂成双线的线间距离准确地测定了k′结构的堆垜周期,堆垜周期随成份的变化是连续的。凡合金离理想成份愈远,堆垜周期愈大。同一成份的合金,温度愈高则堆垜周期愈大。堆垜周期可以为奇数,也可以为非整数。在介稳二相区内,非但点阵间隔随成份而变,而且k′相的堆垜周期也随成份而变。二相1963年8月曾在长春市举行的第一届全国物质结构学术会议上宣读过。共存实际上是由一种成份的两种结构形式所组成。本文纯粹从热力学的关系证明了Cu-Au二元系的有序、无序变化是二级相交。     

Martensitic transformation in as-grown and annealed near-stoichiometric epitaxial Ni2MnGa thin films

Magnetic shape memory nanostructures have a great potential in the field of the nanoactuators. The relationship between dimensionality, microstructure and magnetism characterizes the materials performance. Here, we study the martensitic transformation in supported and free-standing epitaxial Ni₄₇Mn₂₄Ga₂₉ films grown by sputtering on (0?0?1) MgO using a stoichiometric Ni₂MnGa target. The films have a Curie temperature of ~390 K and a martensitic transition temperature of ~120 K. Similar transition temperatures have been observed in films with thicknesses of 1, 3 and 4 μm. Thicker films (with longer deposition time) present a wider martensitic transformation range that can be associated with small gradients in their chemical concentration due to the high vapour pressure of Mn and Ga. The magnetic anisotropy of the films shows a strong change below the martensitic transformation temperature. No features associated with variant reorientation induced by magnetic field have been observed. Annealed films in the presence of a Ni₂MnGa bulk reference change their chemical composition to Ni₄₉Mn₂₆Ga₂₅. The change in the chemical composition increases the martensitic transformation temperature, being closer to the stoichiometric compound, and reduces the transformation hysteresis. In addition, sharper transformations are obtained, which indicate that chemical inhomogeneities and defects are removed. Our results indicate that the properties of Ni–Mn–Ga thin films grown by sputtering can be optimized (fixing the chemical concentration and removing crystalline defects) by the annealing process, which is promising for the development of micromagnetic shape memory devices.     

Metastable (GaSb)(1−x)(Sn2)x alloys: Crystal growth and phase stability of single crystal and polycrystalline layers

Single-phase metastable (GaSb)_(1−x)(Sn₂)_x alloys with x ⩽ 0.23 far exceeding the equilibrium solid solubility limit of x ⪅ 0.02 for Sn in GaSb, have been grown by rf sputter deposition. The key feature allowing the growth of single phase alloys was the use of low energy ion-bombardment-induced collisional mixing during deposition. Films grown at elevated temperatures T_s on GaAs(100) substrates were found to be single crystals while polycrystalline films with very strong (220) perferred orientation and grain sizes of 20–40 nm were obtained on amorphous glass substrates. The maximum film growth temperatures T_m at which single phase films could be obtained was a function of the negative substrate potential V_s during deposition and the composition x. For V_s = 75 V, T_m ranged from 375 °C at x = 0.06 to 125 °C at x = 0.23. Crystal growth and post-annealing studies both indicated that the transformation from the single-phase metastable state to the equilibrium (GaSb + βSn) state occurs through a continuous set of metastable GaSb-rich phases and that Sn precipitates out first in the α-diamond structure and then transforms to the β-tetragonal structure. In single crystal films, the GaSb-rich phase precipitates out coherently with the alloy matrix. The activation energy for phase separation ranged from ∼ 1.4 eV for alloys with x = 0.06 to 0.9 eV at x = 0.23. A phase map for crystal growth, plotted as a function of T_s and x, and an annealing transformation diagram for (GaSb)_0.86(Sn₂)_0.14 was determined.     

Behavior of the nickel-titanium alloys with the shape memory effect under conditions of shock wave loading

The behavior of the Ti_51.1Ni_48.9 and Ti_49.4Ni_50.6 alloys with shape memory effects has been studied under submicrosecond shock wave loading in the temperature range from −80 to 160°C, which includes both the regions of the stable state of the specimens in the austenite and martensite phases and the regions of thermoelastic martensitic transformations. The grain size of the studied alloys varies from initial values 15–30 to 0.05–0.30 μm. The dependences of the dynamic elastic limit on the temperature and on the elemental composition are similar to the dependences of the yield stress of these alloys under low strain rate loading. The rarefaction shock wave formation as a consequence of the pseudoelastic behavior of the alloy during a reversible martensitic transformation has been revealed. A decrease in the grain size leads to an increase in the dynamic elastic limit and decreases the temperatures of martensitic transformations.     

The Influence of Martensitic Intercalations in Magnetic Shape Memory NiCoMnAl Multilayered Films

Hysteresis and transformation behavior were studied in epitaxial NiCoMnAl magnetic shape memory alloy thin films with varying number martensitic intercalations (MIs) placed in between. MIs consists of a different NiCoMnAl composition with a martensitic transformation occurring at much higher temperature than the host composition. With increasing number of intercalations, we find a decrease in hysteresis width from 17 K to 10 K. For a large difference in the layers thicknesses this is accompanied by a larger amount of residual austenite. If the thicknesses become comparable, strain coupling between them dominates the transformation process, which manifests in a shift of the hysteresis to higher temperatures, splitting of the hysteresis in sub hysteresis and a decrease in residual austenite to almost 0%. A long-range ordering of martensite and austenite regions in the shape of a 3D checker board pattern is formed at almost equal thicknesses.     

Martensitic transformation in a copper-aluminum-nickel alloy single crystal after short-term neutron irradiation

The influence of neutron irradiation on the temperature kinetics of thermoelastic martensitic transformation in a Cu-Al(13.4%)-Ni(5%) alloy single crystal is investigated by measuring the electrical resistivity directly under irradiation of the sample in a nuclear reactor channel. It is revealed that, after irradiation of the crystal in a martensitic or two-phase state, the temperature of the phase transition upon heating becomes 25–30 K higher than that prior to irradiation. This shift in the transition temperature is observed only upon the first heating, and the kinetics of martensitic transformation is restored in subsequent thermocycles. The shift in the transformation temperatures after irradiation increases with an increase in the fluence. The experimental results are explained by a disturbance of coherence at the interfaces in the irradiated crystals.     

Ni deposition on the pentagonal surface of an icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal

We have evaporated Ni on the pentagonal surface of an icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal kept at room temperature. At the initial stage of growth, Ni intermixes with the substrate surface. Subsequently, Al from the quasicrystal matrix migrates to growing layers. The modified chemical composition in an initially icosahedral region near the surface induces a structural transformation. An Al-Pd-Mn alloy is formed which consists of five cubic domains with dimensions in the nm-range exposing their (1 1 0) faces parallel to the surface. These domains are azimuthally rotated by 2π/5 with respect to each other and aligned with symmetry directions of the icosahedral substrate. Al-Mn-Ni, Al-Ni, and Ni overlayers adopt both structure and orientation of these domains which stabilises Ni in a novel body-centred cubic phase. Ni-rich overlayers exhibit out-of-plane magnetic ordering.