Solid State Reaction of Al and Zr in Al/Zr Multilayers: A Calorimetry Study

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe exothermic, solid state reaction of Al and Zr has been studied in thick AL/Zr multilayers using Differential Scanning Calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The multilayersamples were magnetron sputter deposited into highly textured alternate layers of Al and Zr with nominal composition A13Zr. The samples used in this study were 47μm thick with a 427Å period. When samples were isochronally scanned from 25º to 725ºC, a large exotherm at ˜350ºC was followed by one or two smaller exotherms at ˜650ºC. The first exotherm is dominated by a diffusionbased reaction of Al and Zr that produces two phases in isochronal scans: amorphous AI-Zrand cubic A13Zr, and two additional phases in isothermal anneals: A12Zr and tetragonal AI3Zr. The exothermic heat from this multi-phase reaction is measured using isochronal scans and isothermal anneals, and the heat flow is analyzed using a l-D diffusion based model. An average activation energy and a diffusion constant are determined. In the isothermal scans, the total exothermic heat increases linearly with √ime, and layer thicknesses vary linearly with heat.