Deposition of boride, nitride, and silicide coatings with desired crystal morphology and perfection

The influence of the relative supersaturation, elastic strain energy of the growing phase, and adhesion energy on the morphology and orientation of boride, nitride, and silicide coatings is estimated using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and secondary-ion mass spectrometry data. A diagram is constructed from which growth conditions for phases with given morphology and structural perfection can be found.