ISSN:
1573-2746
Keywords:
general boundary
;
silicon carbide
;
structural width and chemical width
;
EELS
;
chemical bonding
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract Using a hot-isostatic-pressed boron-doped silicon carbide (SiC) material as an example, we demonstrate that the structural width and the chemical width of general boundaries may be quite different. The high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) observation did not detect the existence of ∼1 nm thick amorphous film at such grain boundaries (GB). There is only a core structure of 1–2 atomic planes at GB. The chemical width of GB, obtained by the spatially-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis, is visibly wider than the core region. Furthermore, the spatially-resolved energy-loss near-edge structures (ELNES) analysis not only revealed the chemical bonding between boron and carbon, oxygen and silicon, but also distinguished an extended GB region with chemical bonding modified from that of the grain interiors. Such ELNES analysis defines an ELNES width that is even wider than the chemical width. The three GB widths of different scale construct a comprehensive picture of general boundaries that is remarkably different from general boundaries with amorphous film. Instead of a film confined by the two atomically sharp grain surfaces, there is only one interface, the rough GB core having most of the B–C and Si–O bonds, and the extended grain surface layers, to form such general GB in B-doped SiC.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008720404554
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