Cr(110) texture induced by epitaxy on Al2O3(0001) substrates: Preferential grain growth in the <001> direction
Boekelheide, Zoe; Hellman, F.
Chromium exhibits (110) textured growth on Al2O3(0001) substrates induced by epitaxy. Epitaxy occurs in nine distinct orientations, leading to a polycrystalline film of grains with (110) out-of-plane orientation but different in-plane orientations. For e-beam evaporated films, scanning electron microscopy shows acicular Cr grains elongated in the < 001 > direction. Grain boundaries occur along (1 $(1) over bar $0) and ((1) over bar 10) planes, which is explained by the low surface energy of {110} planes in the bcc structure. The direction of the long axes of the grains relative to the substrate is defined by the underlying hexagonal symmetry of the substrate, leading to a unique tri-directional microstructure.
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