Thickness-dependent stabilization of tetragonal ZrO2 in oxidized zirconium

Abstract Here we describe a study on the effect of transmission electron microscopy sample preparation on the stability of the tetragonal ZrO 2 phase, as determined by precession electron diffraction. It was found that sample thickness, and thus corresponding stress remaining within the sample, can significantly affect the percentage of tetragonal phase ZrO 2 recorded in the oxide layers. The microscopy-based finding is complemented by density functional theory calculations, confirming that there exists a crossover in energy between the two phases that depends on compressive strain. These findings further confirm that the significant portion of tetragonal phase is the result of stress stabilization.