Electron Diffraction Study on Thin Alloy Films of Aluminium-Silver System

Thin evaporated alloy films of the aluminium-silver system, mainly of hexagonal close packed phase and cubic β'-phase, were examined by electron diffraction. In the evaporated films, the h.c.p. lattice with an axial ratio of 1.63 was apt to be produced, which seemed to arise from the change of (111) stacking in the f.c.c. lattice, especially when the evaporation was carried out on to substrates at elevated temperatures, while the β'-phase was in general difficult to form by the evaporation only. The processes were also examined, through which the evaporated alloy films ultimately attained the equilibrium state after successive heat-treatments.