Arrangement of rare-earth elements at prismatic grain boundaries in silicon nitride

Author: Winkelman G. B.  

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

ISSN: 1362-3036

Source: Philosophical Magazine Letters, Vol.84, Iss.12, 2004-12, pp. : 755-762

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Abstract

The arrangement of rare-earth atoms at {100} prism planes of La- and Lu-containing polycrystalline Si3N4 specimens is studied using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. For both systems, the attachment sites of rare-earth atoms are well-defined and largely conform to the periodicity of the terminating plane of the Si3N4 grain. We observe significant differences between the structural arrangement of La and Lu atoms at the interface.