Morphology of titanium, zirconium and hafnium nanofilms deposited onto zirconia ceramic at annealing in vacuum

Abstract

The morphology of titanium, zirconium, and hafnium nanofilms deposited onto zirconia after annealing in vacuum at 1400, 1500, and 1600°C was studied. Nanofilms show a tendency to fragmentation; for titanium it begins at 1400°C, for zirconium and hafnium at 1500°C. At further heating, titanium nanofilm coagulates, while zirconium and hafnium nanofilms interact with the oxygen of the substrate. Tendencies for the formation of swellings on films prior to fragmentation and a certain role of grain boundaries in the cases of titanium and hafnium were noted.

Keywords

• morphology, nanofilms, zirconia, titanium, zirconium, hafnium