Exploring semiconductor potential: novel boron-based TiAlC and TiAlN MAX phase composites with tunable band gaps.

This research focuses on synthesizing chemically and thermally stable novel TiAlN and TiAlC MAX phase reinforced boron-based composites using hot pressed and inert sintering processes, enabling a sizeable and wider bandgap for semiconductor applications. The study found that the MAX phase is formed from 0.2% to 2.9% in fabricated samples with increasing sintering temperatures from 950 °C to 1325 °C. As the sintering temperature increases, the percentage of crystallinity in TiAlN MAX phase reinforced boron-based composites increases from 69.14% to 89.88%, while in TiAlC MAX phase reinforced boron-based composites, it increases from 71.02% to 77.86%. And the energy bandgap shows a declining trend from 2.33 eV to 1.78 eV for TiAlBN sample composites and 2.60 eV to 2.40 for TiAlBC sample composites. The UV-vis test for boron-based TiAlN and TiAlC MAX phase composites shows an absorbance rate ranging from 0.065 a.u. to 0.63 a.u. and 0.008 to 2.4 a.u. respectively with increasing sintering temperature. Tuning these bandgap variations for TiAlN and TiAlC MAX phase reinforced boron-based composites with sintering temperature allows for customization of the material's optical absorption and emission spectra, which is important for semiconductor properties and for electronic and optoelectronic devices.