Abstract
Numerical simulations of phase decomposition in thin films on patterned substrates are presented for a binary alloy in order to study the influence of substrate composition on microstructural evolution. For systems with a substrate composition less than the film composition, a preferential segregation of A to the interface was observed and no phase decomposition occurred within the film. For patterned systems with a substrate composition exceeding the film composition, the B-rich phase was able to grow by a barrierless transformation for a range of film compositions outside the chemical spinodal. The number of precipitates which formed on the mesa, the dihedral angles at the three-phase trijunctions, and the resulting microstructure within the film were shown to be sensitive to the substrate composition.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-8 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Metals and Materials International |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 Feb 1 |
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Keywords
- Patterned substrate
- Phase decomposition
- Segregation
- Thin film
- Wetting
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Engineering(all)