The effect of Ti doping on the growth of Mg nanostructures by oblique angle codeposition

Using an oblique angle codeposition technique, 0-8 at. % Ti has been doped into Mg and aligned nanostructure arrays, composed of hexagonal Mg single crystals with preferred orientations, are formed. Ti doping produces nanorod structures instead of the nanoblade structures that are formed from pure Mg deposition. This is due to the pinning effect of Ti for Mg adatom diffusion. There is a linear shift of the Mg diffraction peaks toward the higher 2 theta angles with the Ti dopant concentration. This is possibly caused by the partial substitution of large Mg atoms by small Ti atoms. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.