Nearly Dislocation-Free APB Termination at Pure Grain Boundary Step Defects in L10 Alloys

Abstract

AbstractL10 alloys typically derive from a high-temperature, disordered fcc phase. For example, CuAu has a face centered tetragonal structure below 380°C and is derived from its high temperature, disordered face centered cubic phase. As the material transforms from the disordered fcc phase to the ordered tetragonal phase, the four distinct Σ3 fcc twin misorientations generate twelve distinct tetragonal twin misorientations, four being characterized as Σ3 and eight as Σ6. Of particular interest is the Σ6 structure because it is possible to terminate lattice antiphase boundaries without dislocations at this interface. A pure step defect at the interface can accommodate the APB termination due to anti-site coincidence (coincidence between copper and gold sites). We term these defects “antiphase steps”. The antiphase step is a new type of interfacial defect that has not been described by other workers. The possibility of forming antiphase steps in ordered L10 alloys is related to even-Σ interfaces. Since the Σ6 boundary is common in the ordered phase, the formation of dislocation-free APB terminations may be important in L10 alloys.