SOLID-STATE REACTION IN THIN-FILMS OF THE CU-SB BINARY-SYSTEM

The formation kinetics of intermetallic compounds in Cu/Sb thin films in the temperature range 473-623 K is studied by X-ray and electron diffraction. It is established that the Cu//2Sb phase begins to form during the deposition of the second layer. In the range 473-573 K, independently of film composition, only the Cu//2Sb phase forms and grows, even though the equilibrium diagram predicts two (Cu//2Sb and Cu//9Sb//2). During an annealing at 623 K of as-evaporated samples, in a first reaction stage both the Cu//2Sb and the Cu//9Sb//2 phases appear simultaneously whatever the film composition. Then the Cu//2Sb changes completely to the Cu//9Sb//2 phase if N//C//u greater than N//S//b, whereas both phases always coexist if N//S//b greater than N//C//u.