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Free‐electron metal alloys: a study by high‐energy XPS
Author(s) -
Abel MarieLaure,
Tsakiropoulos Panos,
Watts John F.,
Matthew James A. D.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.1453
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , intermetallic , alloy , aluminium , auger electron spectroscopy , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , phase (matter) , metal , silicon , redistribution (election) , metallurgy , chemistry , chemical engineering , physics , organic chemistry , chromatography , politics , political science , nuclear physics , law , engineering
In an extension of previous work on charge redistribution phenomena in aluminium transition metals alloys, high‐energy x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed on alloys prepared with elements having sp‐dominated band structure, specifically aluminium, magnesium and silicon, and the alloys Al–2.5Mg, Al–25Mg, Al–10Si and Al–50Si have been investigated. This work was performed using an ESCA300 spectrometer fitted with a Cr Kβ source ( h ν = 5946.7 eV). Examination of the final‐ and initial‐state Auger parameters shows that very little variation occurs in the alloys compared with pure elemental solids and that the values obtained are very close to being within experimental error. Examination of the plasmon energies and intensities, however, shows that the main variations are obtained for alloys forming a discrete phase upon alloying (intermetallic phase) as opposed to alloys forming solid solutions or those precipitating pure metallic phases on cooling. The Al–25Mg alloy contains the Al 3 Mg 2 (β) phase. This phase contributes towards the variation of the effective cell volume of Mg and Al compared with the pure metals and is consistent with an increase and a decrease of their respective plasmon energies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.