Atomic scale studies of the chemistry of the Cu/MgO {l_brace}111{r_brace} heterophase interface

The Cu/MgO [111] heterophase interface is studied using a combination of transmission electron microscopy, high resolution electron microscopy and atom-probe field-ion microscopy techniques. Wire and foil specimens of a Cu-2.8 at.% Mg alloy were internally oxidized to produce MgO precipitates at a number density of 5{center_dot}10{sup 15}Cm{sup {minus}3} with a mean diameter of {approx}200 {Angstrom}. The MgO precipitates have a semicoherent interface with the Cu matrix and they exhibit a cube-on-cube orientation relationship. The octahedral-shaped MgO precipitates were analyzed using APFIM by dissecting along a <111> direction on an atomic scale. In this manner an MgO precipitate, with a [111] plane perpendicular to the axis of the APFIM, is uncovered after the Cu matrix has been mass analyzed. It was found that the terminating [222] plane of an MgO precipitate is pure oxygen, and the second [222] plane is pure Mg.