title: Growth and Stress-induced Transformation of Zinc blende AlN Layers in Al-AlN-TiN Multilayers.
abstract: AlN nanolayers in sputter deposited {111}Al/AlN/TiN multilayers exhibit the metastable zinc-blende-structure (z-AlN). Based on density function theory calculations, the growth of the z-AlN is ascribed to the kinetically and energetically favored nitridation of the deposited aluminium layer. In situ nanoindentation of the as-deposited {111}Al/AlN/TiN multilayers in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope revealed the z-AlN to wurzite AlN phase transformation through collective glide of Shockley partial dislocations on every two {111} planes of the z-AlN.
authors.affiliation: Materials Physics and Applications Division, MPA-CINT, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Technology Division, MST-8, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Satyesh K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Technology Division, MST-8, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Misra