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Study of structural relaxation processes of nonequilibrium states in quench‐condensed indium films with hydrogen impurities below 5 K
Author(s) -
Belevtsev B. I.,
Komnik Yu. F.,
Vatsuk L. A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.2221830113
Subject(s) - indium , spinodal decomposition , crystallite , hydrogen , impurity , materials science , relaxation (psychology) , non equilibrium thermodynamics , lattice constant , thermodynamics , condensed matter physics , chemical physics , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , diffraction , phase (matter) , metallurgy , physics , organic chemistry , psychology , social psychology , optics
The structural state of quench‐condensed polycrystalline indium films with hydrogen impurities is studied by the electron diffraction method. The films (3 to 14 nm thick) are deposited with rates of 0.3 to 2nm/s in hydrogen atmosphere ( p H ≈ 1.6 × 10 −2 Pa) onto substrates cooled by liquid helium to 2.5 K. The films exhibit high nonequilibrium hydrogen concentration (up to ≈ 15 at%) and their state is labile. During the transition to a more stable state (at constant temperatures or with heating in the range 2.5 K ⪅ T ⪅ 5 K) hydrogen in films is highly mobile. The attendant structural relaxation consists in alternating increase and decrease of the lattice parameters in microcrystallites. Simultaneously crystallites undergo inhomogeneous strains. The behaviour of the relaxation process shows some symptoms of spinodal decomposition. There are, however, essential distinctions from the features of spinodal decomposition, which are known for bulk metal‐hydrogen systems. Results obtained are discussed taking into account the influence of the two‐dimensionality of the films and their inhomogeneous (granular) structure on nonequilibrium state decomposition.