Rapid structural and chemical characterization of ternary phase diagrams using synchrotron radiation

A technique based on synchrotron radiation was developed that allows for rapid structural and chemical characterization of ternary alloys over a wide range of composition. The technique was applied to isothermal sections of the Cr-Fe-Ni system grown on Al2O3(0001) sapphire substrates by sequential deposition of layers of graded thickness followed by annealing to interdiffuse the elements. A film spanning the Cr-Fe-Ni ternary system was measured in 4 h at a resolution of 2 at.% by rastering the sample under a focused beam of synchrotron radiation while simultaneously measuring the diffraction pattern with a charge-coupled device detector to determine crystallographic phases, texture, and lattice parameters and also measuring the x-ray fluorescence with an energy-dispersive detector to determine elemental composition. Maps of phase composition and lattice parameter as a function of composition for several annealing treatments were found to be consistent with equilibrium values. The technique will be useful in combinatorial materials design.