Growth and Mechanical Properties of Transition Metal Nitrides and Carbides

Abstract: The atomic-scale dynamical processes at play during film growth cannot be resolved by even the most advanced experimental methods. As such, computational methods, and chiefly classical molecular dynamics, are the only available research tools to study these processes. The investigation of key dynamical processes during thin film growth yields a deeper understanding of the film growth evolution, ultimately allowing for the optimization of experimental parameters and tailoring of film properties. This thesis details the study of fundamental surface dynamics processes, and the role played by primary diffusing species, during TiN film growth, here employed as a model system for transition metal nitrides in general. It is found that Ti adatoms and TiN2 admolecules are the fastest diffusing species, and the species which most rapidly descend from islands onto the growing film. Thus, they are the main contributors and players in driving the layer-by-layer growth mode. TiN3 admolecules, in contrast, are essentially stationary and thereby promote multilayer growth. Large-scale growth simulations reveal that tailoring the incident N/Ti ratio and N kinetic energy significantly affects the growth mode and film microstructure.The mechanical properties of ternary transition metal nitride and carbide alloys, investigated using density functional theory, are also discussed herein, in comparison to recent experimental results. By optimizing the valence electron concentration in these compounds, the occupation of shear-compliant d‑t2g electronic states can be maximized. The investigation of M1M2N alloys, where M1 = Ti or V and M2 = W or Mo, with different structures demonstrates that this optimization leads to enhanced ductility, and thereby toughness, in transition metal nitride alloys regardless of the degree of ordering on the metal sublattice. Estimations based on the calculation of the mechanical properties of the corresponding M1M2C transition metal carbide alloys indicate that these materials remain brittle. However, charge density analysis and calculations of stress/strain curves reveal features commonly associated with ductile materials.