Structural degradation of tungsten sandwiched in hafnia layers determined by in-situ XRD up to 1520 °C

The high-temperature stability of thermal emitters is one of the critical properties of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems to obtain high radiative power and conversion efficiencies. W and HfO2 are ideal due to their high melting points and low vapor pressures. At high temperatures and given vacuum conditions, W is prone to oxidation resulting in instantaneous sublimation of volatile W oxides. Herein, we present a detailed in-situ XRD analysis of the morphological changes of a 3-layer-system: HfO2/W/HfO2 layers, in a high-temperature environment, up to 1520 degrees C. These samples were annealed between 300 degrees C and 1520 degrees C for 6 h, 20 h, and 40 h at a vacuum pressure below 3x10(-6) mbar using an in-situ high-temperature X-ray diffractometer, which allows investigation of crucial alterations in HfO2 and W layers. HfO2 exhibits polymorphic behavior, phase transformations and anisotropy of thermal expansion leads to formation of voids above 800 degrees C. These voids serve as transport channels for the residual O-2 present in the annealing chamber to access W, react with it and form volatile tungsten oxides. An activation energy of 1.2 eV is calculated. This study clarifies the limits for the operation of W-HfO2 spectrally selective emitters for TPV in high-temperature applications.

Automated summary

The study systematically analyzes the morphological changes of HfO2/W/HfO2 layers in a high-temperature environment, revealing crucial alterations in HfO2 and W layers. The findings help clarify the operational limits for W-HfO2 spectrally selective emitters in high-temperature applications for thermophotovoltaic systems.