Electron diffraction study of the local atomic arrangement in amorphous gallium films

Thin films of amorphous gallium have been prepared by low temperaturecondensation in high vacuum, and a transmission electron diffraction study of them has been undertaken. A radial distribution analysis from the very diffuse halo patterns obtained has been carried out in order to investigate the local atomic arrangement in amorphous gallium. W(r) ( q(r)/q0) has been compared with W(r)'s calculated from several crystalline models, leading to the conclusion that the structure in question is considerably similar to highly disordered β-gallium.