Intergranular films at metal–ceramic interfaces: Part I – interface structure and chemistry Original Research Article

In this work the structure and chemistry of intergranular films at metal–ceramic interfaces was investigated via detailed microstructural characterization of model metal–Al2O3 nanocomposites. We report here experimental results indicating the formation and stability of equilibrium nanometer-thick films at metal–ceramic interfaces. Thin ∼1 nm interface films were observed for two different metal–alumina systems (Ni and Cu) doped with glass-forming additives. High spatial resolution energy dispersive spectroscopy showed a difference in the chemical composition of the films at Ni–alumina and Cu–alumina interfaces. These results may have immediate ramifications on structural and functional properties of metal–ceramic interfaces.