High-Throughput Micro-Combinatorial TEM Phase Mapping of the DC Magnetron Sputtered Y_xTi_1-xO_y Thin Layer System

High-throughput methods are extremely important in today's materials science, especially in the case of thin film characterization. The micro-combinatorial method enables the deposition and characterization of entire multicomponent thin film systems within a single sample. In this paper, we report the application of this method for the comprehensive TEM characterization of the Y-Ti-O layer system. Variable composition samples (Y_xTi_1-xO_y) were prepared by dual DC magnetron sputtering, covering the entire (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) concentration range. The structure and morphology of phases formed in both as-deposited and annealed samples at 600, 700, and 800 °C were revealed as a function of Y-Ti composition (x). A comprehensive map showing the appropriate amorphous and crystalline phases, and their occurrence regions of the whole Y-Ti-O layer system, was revealed. Thanks to the applied method, it was shown with ease that at the given experimental conditions, the Y₂Ti₂O₇ phase with a pyrochlore structure forms already at 700 °C without the TiO₂ and Y₂O₃ by-phases, which is remarkably lower than the required temperature for most physical preparation methods, demonstrating the importance and benefits of creating phase maps in materials science and technology.