Application of coincidence of reciprocal lattice point model to metal/sapphire hetero interfaces

Coincidence of reciprocal lattice point (CRLP) model was used to predict the stable orientation relationships of metal/α-Al2O3 hetero interfaces from geometrical considerations. The predicted stable orientation relationships (ORs) between various metals and α-Al2O3 agreed well with the experimentally observed ORs at the hetero interfaces fabricated by film growth processes. In the bcc metal/α-Al2O3 systems with different fabrication processes such as internal oxidation, Burgers and Pitsch–Schrader ORs were experimentally observed, which have not been predicted as the most stable orientation relationships by CRLP. However, these ORs are predicted in CRLP as secondary stable orientations.