By direct observations of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), irreversible morphological transformations of as-deposited amorphous Au/Si multilayer (a-Au/a-Si) were observed on heating. The well arrayed sequence o...By direct observations of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), irreversible morphological transformations of as-deposited amorphous Au/Si multilayer (a-Au/a-Si) were observed on heating. The well arrayed sequence of the multilayer changed to zigzag layered structure at 478 K (=Tzig). Finally, the zigzag structure transformed to Au nanoparticles at 508 K. The distribution of the Au nanoparticles was random within the thin film. In situ X-ray diffraction during heating can clarify partial crystallization Si (c-Si) in the multilayer at 450 K (= ), which corresponds to metal induced crystallization (MIC) from amorphous Si (a-Si) accompanying by Au diffusion. On further heating, a-Au started to crystallize at around 480 K (=Tc) and gradually grew up to 3.2 nm in radius, although the volume of c-Si was almost constant. Continuous heating caused crystal Au (c-Au) melting into liquid AuSi (l-AuSi) at 600 K (= ), which was lower than bulk eutectic temperature ( ). Due to the AuSi eutectic effect, reversible phase transition between liquid and solid occurred once temperature is larger than . Proportionally to the maximum temperatures at each cycles (673, 873 and 1073 K), both and Au crystallization temperature approaches to . Using a thermodynamic theory of the nanoparticle formation in the eutectic system, the relationship between and the nanoparticle size is explained.展开更多
文摘By direct observations of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), irreversible morphological transformations of as-deposited amorphous Au/Si multilayer (a-Au/a-Si) were observed on heating. The well arrayed sequence of the multilayer changed to zigzag layered structure at 478 K (=Tzig). Finally, the zigzag structure transformed to Au nanoparticles at 508 K. The distribution of the Au nanoparticles was random within the thin film. In situ X-ray diffraction during heating can clarify partial crystallization Si (c-Si) in the multilayer at 450 K (= ), which corresponds to metal induced crystallization (MIC) from amorphous Si (a-Si) accompanying by Au diffusion. On further heating, a-Au started to crystallize at around 480 K (=Tc) and gradually grew up to 3.2 nm in radius, although the volume of c-Si was almost constant. Continuous heating caused crystal Au (c-Au) melting into liquid AuSi (l-AuSi) at 600 K (= ), which was lower than bulk eutectic temperature ( ). Due to the AuSi eutectic effect, reversible phase transition between liquid and solid occurred once temperature is larger than . Proportionally to the maximum temperatures at each cycles (673, 873 and 1073 K), both and Au crystallization temperature approaches to . Using a thermodynamic theory of the nanoparticle formation in the eutectic system, the relationship between and the nanoparticle size is explained.