First-principles study of TiN/SiC/TiN interfaces in superhard nanocomposites

 
S.Veprek,
 
P.E.A.Turchi,
  

Інститут проблем матеріалознавства ім. І. М. Францевича НАН України , вул. Омеляна Пріцака, 3, Київ, 03142, Україна
Phys. Rev. B, 2012, #86, P.014110 - 8 c.
http://www.materials.kiev.ua/article/1613

Анотація

Heterostructures with one monolayer of interfacial SiC inserted between several B1(NaCl)-TiN (001) and (111) slabs are investigated in the temperature range of 0–1400 K using first-principles quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) calculations. The temperature-dependent QMD calculations in combination with subsequent ariable-cell structural relaxation reveal that the TiN(001)/B1-SiC/TiN(001) interface exists as a pseudomorphic B1-SiC layer at temperatures between 0 and 600 K. After heating to 900–1400 K and subsequent static relaxation, the interfacial layer corresponds to a strongly distorted 3C-SiC-like structure oriented in the (111) direction in which the Si and C atoms are located in the same interfacial plane. The Si atoms form fourfold coordinated Si-C 3N1 configurations, whereas the C atoms are located in C-Si3Ti2 units. All (111) interfaces calculated at 0, 300, and 1400 K have the same atomic configurations. For these interfaces, the Si and C layers correspond tothe Si-C network in the (111) direction of 3C-SiC. The Si and C atoms are located in Si-C3N1and C-Si3Ti3configurations, respectively. The ideal tensile strength of all the heterostructures is lower than that of TiN. Acomparison with the results obtained from earlier “static” ab initio density functional theory calculations at 0 K for similar heterostructures shows the great advantage of QMD calculations that reveal the effects of thermal activation on structural reconstructions