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Evidence of stress-induced tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation during sputter deposition of yttria-stabilized zirconia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Jeffrey R. Piascik ,
Qi Zhang ,
Christopher A. Bower ,
Jeffrey Y. Thompson  and
Brian R. Stoner
Jeffrey R. Piascik*
Affiliation:
Curriculum of Applied and Material Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; and RTI International, Center for Materials and Electronic Technologies, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Qi Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
Christopher A. Bower
Affiliation:
RTI International, Center for Materials and Electronic Technologies, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Jeffrey Y. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249; and Curriculum of Applied and Material Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
Brian R. Stoner
Affiliation:
RTI International, Center for Materials and Electronic Technologies, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; and Curriculum of Applied and Material Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: jpiascik@rti.org
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Abstract

Partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) has been studied extensively, due to its high-temperature stability and stress-induced tetragonal (T)-to-monoclinic (M) martensitic phase transformation. This T ⇒ M phase transformation has been well-documented for bulk PSZ, but limited data exist for PSZ thin films. Data will be presented that support a stress-induced T ⇒ M transformation mechanism that occurs during sputter deposition in the presence of a substrate bias. Substrate bias (0–50 W) was originally applied to increase film density, modify microstructure, and vary film stress. The films were deposited using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering from a sintered yttria-stabilized zirconia target and were subsequently characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and wafer bow measurement (for stress analysis). With no substrate bias, the films exhibited a columnar grain structure that was consistent with sputter-deposited films, with a majority T phase as determined by XRD. Under higher substrate bias, wafer bow measurements indicated a steady increase in compressive stress as substrate bias increased (maximum, 310 MPa at 50-W bias), while XRD indicated a corresponding increase in the percentage of the M phase. Both SEM and TEM analyses revealed a shift from a defect-free columnar structure to one consisting of lateral intracolumnar or transgranular defects for films deposited under substrate-bias conditions. It is hypothesized that these defects form as a result of stress relief in the growing film via the T ⇒ M phase transformation due to bias-induced compressive stress.

Keywords

Phase transformationThin filmTransmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , April 2007 , pp. 1105 - 1111
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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