12-15 July 2011
Saint George Hotel
Africa/Johannesburg timezone

Light scattering studies of boron carbide films grown by laser ablation: thin-film surface quality and elasticity

15 Jul 2011, 08:30
15m
Acro1

Acro1

Oral Presentation Track A - Condensed Matter Physics and Material Science CMPMS2

Speaker

Dr Bhekumusa Mathe (University of the Witwatersrand)

Description

Covalently bonded solids based on boron, carbon, or nitrogen are the hardest materials, and B4C is the third hardest after diamond and cubic boron nitride. Thin films of boron carbide were formed by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature and at higher temperatures up to 800 o C using a sintered B4C target. Whilst the nature of the particulates embedded in the films and the composition and bonding states of the films is known to vary depending on the laser fluence, it is of considered interest in this study to understand how the surface quality, microstructure and tensile properties of B4C would depend on substrate temperature. The deposition parameters such as the laser intensity, vacuum, supporting gas conditions, target-substrate distance, would be controlled such that only substrate temperature is used to modify the film properties and composition. Raman scattering studies and AFM measurements would be used to probe the microstructure and bonding of the film as the substrate temperature is varied, whilst Brillouin scattering measurements would be used examine the elasticity changes.

Level (Hons, MSc, <br> &nbsp; PhD, other)? other
Consider for a student <br> &nbsp; award (Yes / No)? no
Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)? yes

Primary author

Dr Bhekumusa Mathe (University of the Witwatersrand)

Co-authors

Prof. Darrel Comins (University of the Witwatersrand) Prof. Frederich Schoning (University of the Witwatersrand)

Presentation Materials

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