Electron diffraction study of the local atomic arrangement in amorphous iron and nickel films

Thin films of amorphous iron and nickel have been prepared by low-temperature condensation in high vacuum, and a transmission electron diffraction study of these films has been undertaken. A radial distribution analysis of the patterns composed of diffuse halos has been carried out in order to investigate the local atomic arrangement in amorphous iron and nickel. W(r) (  Q(r)Q0) experimentally derived has been compared with W(r) calculated from several structure models. Best resemblance in shape to the experimental W(r) has been obtained by W(r) calculated from a dense random packed structure, leading to the conclusionthat the atomic arrangement in amorphous iron and nickel is, to a good approximation, represented by the dense random packed structure.