In situ determination of high-temperature oxidation evolution using micro-pillar array and scanning probe microscopy

Understanding the chemo-mechanics during oxidation is of great importance for designing novel countermeasures for materials protections. However, it is yet challenging to accurately measure the coupled mechanical stress/strain components at micro-/nanoscale. In this work, we propose a novel method to combine surface markers (SiO2 micro-pillars) and high temperature scanning probe microscopy (HTSPM) for quantifying the growing oxide thickness, while mapping the local displacement and strain fields at the surface of a nickel-based alloy during high temperature oxidation. The proposed method displays great potential in quantitatively mapping the non-uniform oxide distribution, providing a novel approach to investigate the high-temperature oxidation process.