Continuous phase evolution of iron nitride epitaxial films based on structural commonality

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 789; pp. 730 - 735
• Main Authors: Yuan, Li-Yong, Ma, Li, He, Wei, Wu, Hong-Ye, Sun, Yun-Bin, Wen, Cai, Li, Guo-Ke, Zhen, Cong-Mian, Shen, Jun-Jie, Zhao, Jian-Jun, Lu, Yi, Hou, Deng-Lu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 15.06.2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Catalysis; Commonality; Crystal structure; Epitaxial films; Evolution; Flow velocity; Heterostructures; Iron nitride; Magnetic properties; Metal nitrides; Nitrogen; Phase diagrams; Protective coatings; Spintronics; Structural commonality; Substrates; Transition metals; Wear resistance; Structural commonality; Epitaxial films; Iron nitride; Magnetic properties
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.03.123

Iron nitrides have a wide spectrum of applications in wear resistance coatings, catalysis, biomedical fields and spintronics due to their diverse phase structures. Thus it is important to fundamentally understand and precisely control the phase structures of iron nitrides. However, there is no work showing structural relationships among the phases. Here a structural commonality of iron nitride is proposed. All iron nitrides are alternately composed of close packed Fe atomic layers and interstitial N atomic layers, where the Fe layers have ideal or quasi two dimensional hexagonal configurations. Based on this commonality, successive phase evolution of iron nitride epitaxial films on MgO(111) substrate was realized. And a nitrogen flow rate-substrate temperature phase diagram was constructed. Moreover, the structural commonality is also found in other transition metal nitrides. Therefore, these results not only offer new insights into the phase evolution of iron nitrides but also provide a good choice for the fabrication of the heterostructures of transition metal nitrides with different crystal structures. •Iron nitrides have a structural commonality consisting of Fe and N atomic layers.•The commonality was verified by phase evolution of iron nitride epitaxial films.•This commonality provides new insights into the structure of metal nitrides.•These results would facilitate the application of nitrides in heterostructures.