Abstract
The formation and decomposition behaviours of metastable solid solutions in liquid-quenched and vapour-quenched Pb-Ge alloys were studied using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and resistance measurement techniques. It is shown that the Pb-rich fcc phase can retain upto about 13 at% Ge on liquid-quenching and upto about 5 at% Ge on vapour-quenching. Decomposition of the Pb-rich fcc phase occurs in the temperature range 220 to 300° C and it is a temperature dependent nucleation and growth phenomenon. Upto about 7.5 at% Pb can be retained in Ge-rich compositions in an amorphous Ge matrix on vapour-quenching but there is no detectable solubility of Pb in crystalline Ge retained by liquid-quenching. On heating, the amorphous Ge-Pb films crystallize to a Ge-rich solid solution which decomposes to equilibrium constituents at higher temperatures. Stability of amorphous Ge-Pb films decreases on increasing metal concentration.
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Akhtar, D., Goel, T.C., Vankar, V.D. et al. Formation of metastable solid solutions in the Pb-Ge system. J Mater Sci 15, 2720–2728 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00550538
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00550538