Structuring of Magnetron Zr Nanofilms Upon Annealing T_D < T_an < T_m in the Atmosphere

Purpose of research. Complex characterization of the degradation of magnetron Zr nanofilms upon atmospheric annealing at temperatures up to T_an = 973 K, satisfying the condition T_D < T_an < T_m (above the Debye temperature T_D, but below the melting temperature T_m) and a qualitative description of the clustering processes of both metallic zirconium and its oxides.

Methods. Magnetron sputtering of a Zr target in a constant current mode (power 300 W, sputtering time 300 s, working gas Ar, flow rate0.7 L / h). Magnetron nanofilms were deposited in an MVU TM - "Magna T" installation on silicon substrates (with IR heating - up to 403 K, ion cleaning - 60 mA for 120 s). The characterization of magnetron nanofilms was carried out by the methods: X-ray phase analysis and annealing (T_an) in air in an Anton Paarthermocell (with a step of 100 K to 973 K), atomic force microscopy, and Raman scattering of light. The fractal dimension (D) of MN was determined by the Hausdorff-Besicovich method.

Results. The particle size distribution of nanoclusters in Zr films at all temperatures T_an was Gaussian. The dimensions of the coherence region (L) and the relative changes in microstrains (ε) are calculated from the diffractograms. The chemical structural changes during the annealing of zirconium nanofilms have been studied both by XRD and Raman scattering. The temperatures of phase structural transitions and associated chemical transformations were determined from AFM images of the MN surface.

Conclusion. Degradation changes recorded during the complex use of nanoinstrumental methods in the analysis of MN (in particular, from Zr) both in the initial state immediately after MR and after annealing in an atmosphere with annealing temperatures up to Tan = 973 K (T_D < T_an <T_m) , have shown the practical significance of the obtained quantitative parameters such as the size of crystallites, microstrains, texture, fractal dimension and roughness of their surface.

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