US-UK Cooperative Research: Interdependence of Micro- structure and Magnetic Properties in Iron-Based Thin Films

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This award will support collaborative research in metallurgy between Dr. John Barnard, University of Alabama and Dr. Peter Goodhew, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, University of Liverpoool, U.K. The project will focus on microstructural characterization by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of iron-based binary alloy thin films as a function of processing conditions and thermal treatment. Dr. Barnard has been involved to date in substantial work on the topic of thin film growth by sputtering and characteriza- tion by magnetometry. In this project he will undertake in Liverpool microstructural and crystallographic characterization of two Fe-based thin film systems, Fe-N and Fe-Sn as a function of temperature. Dr. Barnard will work directly with Dr. Goodhew and members of his group in order to master analytic TEM techniques, which can then be introduced to the University of Alabama's new TEM facility. Dr. Goodhew has extensive expertise in analytical and high resolution electronmicroscopy. In addition, Liverpool University has exceptional microscopy facilities. The results of this research could provide insights into the nature of the short- range order in the amorphous state, as well as defining the structural kinetics of crystallization in this system.