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Crystallization and Grain Growth Kinetics for Precipitation‐Based Ceramics: A Case Study on Amorphous Ceria Thin Films from Spray Pyrolysis
Author(s) -
Rupp Jennifer L. M.,
Scherrer Barbara,
Harvey Ashley S.,
Gauckler Ludwig J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200900255
Subject(s) - materials science , microstructure , nanocrystalline material , amorphous solid , thin film , crystallization , nucleation , chemical engineering , ceramic , oxide , precipitation , amorphous metal , composite material , nanotechnology , metallurgy , alloy , crystallography , organic chemistry , chemistry , physics , meteorology , engineering
Abstract The introductory part reviews the impact of thin film fabrication, precipitation versus vacuum‐based methods, on the initial defect state of the material and microstructure evolution to amorphous, biphasic amorphous‐nanocrystalline, and fully nanocrystalline metal oxides. In this study, general rules for the kinetics of nucleation, crystallization, and grain growth of a pure single‐phase metal oxide thin film made by a precipitation‐based technique from a precursor with one single organic solvent are discussed. For this a complete case study on the isothermal and non‐isothermal microstructure evolution of dense amorphous ceria thin films fabricated by spray pyrolysis is conducted. A general model is established and comparison of these thin film microstructure evolution to kinetics of classical glass‐ceramics or metallic glasses is presented. Knowledge on thermal microstructure evolution of originally amorphous precipitation‐based metal oxide thin films allows for their introduction and distinctive microstructure engineering in devices‐based on microelectromechanical (MEMS) technology such as solar cells, capacitors, sensors, micro‐solid oxide fuel cells, or oxygen separation membranes on Si‐chips.