Physico-Chemical nanomaterials science

Study of In-Sn phase diagram using layered films
Dukarov S.V., Petrushenko S.I., Bloshenko Z.V., Sukhov V.N.
School of Physics V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. 
4 Svobody Sq., Kharkiv, Ukraine. 
E-mail: petrushenkokhnu@gmail.com

For the phase diagrams research in low-dimensional systems, as well as for the concentration dependence research of the physical properties of thin films, the original method of variable composition and variable state is convenient [1]. 
In this method, due to the special arrangement of the elements of vacuum equipment on the rectangular substrate, a film with components varying concentration is condensed by the evaporation from separated sources. Then, in a direction, which is perpendicular to the concentration gradient, a temperature gradient is created. With a help of such a simple technique within one vacuum cycle, it is possible to obtain a continuous set of samples corresponding to the necessary section of the phase diagram. In this work, the method of variable composition and variable state was used for the study of In-Sn alloys condensed onto an amorphous carbon substrate.
Unlike the earlier technique realization, in which the simultaneous condensation was used, the samples for our researches were obtained by the method of the sequential condensation of components. It was established, that after the condensation termination and thermal impact, the lines corresponding to the main contours of the phase diagram of the studied binary system are observed on the substrate. With the help of scanning electron microscope studies, it was established, that the visualization of the contours is conditioned by the morphological particularities of areas corresponding to different states. By the way of the study of the temperature dependence of the average size pores, which are observed in the continuous area of the sample, the activation energy of diffusion processes providing the dispergation of initially continuous films was estimated.
It was shown that, above liquidus line, the films consist of practically spherical shape islands, for which a normal size distribution is typical. Histograms of particle size distribution were obtained and it was shown that the variations of the particles composition, which are formed during the films decay, are rather small.

1.	Gladkikh N.T., Chizhik S.P., Larin V.I., Grigor'eva L.K., Samsonik A.L., Sukhov V.N. Structure of binary alloys in condensed films // Russian metallurgy. Metally.-1987.-N 1.-P. 173-181.