Phase stability and initial low-temperature oxidation mechanism of Ti2AlC thin films

Ti2AlC thin films deposited onto Al2O3 by magnetron sputtering were used as model for studying the early stages (<15 min) of relatively low-temperature (500 °C) oxidation of Ti2AlC. The well-defined microstructure of these films forms a surface of valleys, hillocks and plateaus comprised of basal-plane-oriented grains with a fraction of nonbasal-plane-oriented grains with out-of-plane orientation of ( 1   0   1 ¯   3 ) and ( 1   0   1 ¯   6 ) as shown by X-ray diffraction and s electron microscopy. During oxidation, Al2O3 clusters and areas of C-containing titania (TiOxCy) are formed on the surface. A mechanism is proposed in which the locations of the Al2O3 clusters are related to the migration of Al atoms diffusing out of Ti2AlC. The Al2O3 is initially formed in valleys or on plateaus where Al atoms have been trapped while TiOxCy forms by in-diffusion of oxygen into the Al-deficient Ti2AlC. At 500 °C, the migration of Al atoms is faster than the oxidation kinetics; explaining this microstructure-dependent oxidation mechanism.