Effect of interfaces on solid-state reactions between oxides

A thin-film geometry has been used to study fundamental solid-state reaction processes occurring at interfaces in two spinel-forming oxide systems. In the first system, NiO/Al2O3, epitactic NiO films were deposited on various orientations of single-crystal α-Al2O3. In this case, the reaction kinetics were studied and correlated with the interfacial structure (or substrate orientation). In the second, In2O3/MgO, solid-state reactions were studied under the influence of an electric field. The electric field provides a driving force for mass transport that affects both the reaction process and the morphological stability of an interface.