Microstructural study of as-grown Ti4AlN3 MAX phase was performed by transmission electron microscopy. Dislocation walls, dislocation nucleation sites and stacking faults were described. In particular, diffraction contrast analysis combined with high-resolution images give a new insight into the nature of the stacking faults: contrarily to what was usually postulated, it was shown that the stacking faults possess a shear component in the basal plane. The stacking faults were created by the insertion of MX layers in the lattice via diffusion mechanisms. Their possible role on the deformation mechanism of MAX phases was considered.

Revisiting the Defect Structure of MAX Phases - the Case of Ti4AlN3. A.Joulain, L.Thilly, J.Rabier: Philosophical Magazine, 2008, 88[9], 1307-20