Abstract Crystallization of metallic glasses (MGs) is a complex dynamic process, driven by thermodynamics and limited by kinetics, which often involves in the phase transformation from the metastable amorphous state, via intermediates, to final stable crystalline states. The intermediate structural state remains mysterious at present but very crucial to a deeper understanding of the physics and mechanisms of the crystallization process. Detailed structural characterization of the complicated intermediate crystalline phases using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides a unique platform to study such issues. Here, we monitor the evolution of the crystallization process for Ni65Zr35 (at.%) MG ribbon with structural heterogeneities. Direct visualization combined with compositional analysis reveal that the intermediate phase with Zr concentration higher than that of MG consists of the inter-stacked nanometer-sized layers of Ni-rich units (Ni at.% > 67 %) and Ni10Zr7-like units, where the thin Ni-rich single layer gradually disappears with increasing the annealing temperature. Our findings provide insight into the key role of Ni in the structural transition process, improving the understanding of the atomic diffusion-dominated crystallization in MGs.

中文翻译：

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在 Ni-Zr 金属玻璃结晶过程中追踪中间相

摘要 金属玻璃 (MGs) 的结晶是一个复杂的动态过程，受热力学驱动并受动力学限制，通常涉及从亚稳态非晶态通过中间体到最终稳定晶态的相变。中间结构状态目前仍然很神秘，但对于更深入地了解结晶过程的物理和机制至关重要。使用透射电子显微镜 (TEM) 对复杂的中间结晶相进行详细的结构表征，为研究此类问题提供了独特的平台。在这里，我们监测具有结构异质性的 Ni65Zr35 (at.%) MG 带的结晶过程的演变。直接可视化结合成分分析表明，Zr 浓度高于 MG 的中间相由富镍单元（Ni at.% > 67 %）和 Ni10Zr7 类单元的纳米级层间堆叠组成，其中随着退火温度的升高，薄的富镍单层逐渐消失。我们的研究结果提供了对 Ni 在结构转变过程中的关键作用的洞察，提高了对 MG 中原子扩散主导结晶的理解。