Characterization and nanoindentation testing of thin ZrO 2 films synthesized using layer-by-layer (LbL) deposited organic templates
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Thin organic LbL (layer-by-layer) films with negatively charged surface were used as templates for biomimetic deposition of ZrO 2 on Si wafers by hydrolysis of Zr(SO 4 ) 2 solution. The as-deposited ceramic layers were fully amorphous and were composed of the mixture of zirconia and zirconium sulfate. During transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination, the amorphous ZrO 2 crystallized almost instantaneously to tetragonal (t) ZrO 2 under the electron beam. The ≤110 nm thick as-deposited layers were crack-free and adhered well to the LbL surface. Annealing at 500 °C led to complete crystallization of amorphous ZrO 2 to nanocrystalline t-ZrO 2 . Further heating to 900 °C resulted in transformation to monoclinic ZrO 2 , complete removal of sulfur and twofold shrinkage of the ceramic layer thickness. Both the nanohardness and elastic modulus of the deposited zirconia layers were significantly improved following the heat treatments.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3447-3453 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Applied surface science : a journal devoted to applied physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces |
| Volume | 255 |
| Issue number | 5 Pt. 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Dec 2008 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- Layer-by-layer deposition, Nanoindentation, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ZrO thin film