Nickel Mediated Transformation of Amorphous Carbon to Graphite
ABSTRACTReactions between Ni and amorphous carbon (a-C) below 600°C have been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and in situ annealing in a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of Ni/a-C layered films deposited by DC sputtering. DSC data show that there are two exothermic peaks in the temperature range around 200-600°C. One is a weak and broad peak below 500°C and the other is a strong and sharp peak at around 530°C. In situ heating in the TEM revealed that the low temperature peak corresponds to a series of reactions for nickel carbide (Ni3C) formation and decomposition into Ni and carbon, most likely in a glassy state. The higher temperature peak was found to correspond to graphitization of a-C by a solution-precipitation mechanism. Graphite formed in this process is strongly textured with the (0002) graphite basal planes parallel to the original Ni/a-C interface.