Thermal stability of the phase composition, structure, and stressed state of ion-plasma condensates in the Zr-Ti-Si-N system

The results of studying the effect of hightempera ture annealing in vacuum and in air on the phase composition, structure, and stressed state of ion-plasma condensates in the Zr-Ti-Si-N system are reported. In going from air annealing to vacuum annealing, the amount of active oxygen atoms decreases and the phase composition of the condensate remains stable to 1000°C or higher. A change in the crystal phase composition shows up, for the first place, in the crystallization of silicon nitride with the intense formation of hexagonal β�Si 3N4 crystallites and also in the feeble formation of ZrO2 dioxide. The latter process does not lead to the decomposition of the (Zr, Ti)N solid solution: it merely increases the partial concentration of the titanium component.