Crystallization Kinetics Study on Magnetron-Sputtered Amorphous TiAl Alloy Thin Films

Crystallization kinetics of magnetron-sputtered amorphous TiAl alloy thin films is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry through isothermal analysis and non-isothermal analysis. In non-isothermal analysis, the Kissinger method and the Ozawa method are used to calculate the apparent activation energy and local activation energy, respectively, in the crystallization processes of amorphous TiAl thin films. Furthermore, the crystallization mechanism is discussed from the investigation of the Avrami exponent by isothermal analysis. In addition, x-ray diffraction is utilized to reveal the grain orientation and evolution during the crystallization of TiAl thin films.