ELECTRON-BEAM-INDUCED CRYSTALLIZATION TRANSITION IN SELF-DEVELOPING AMORPHOUS ALF3 RESISTS

Transmission electron microscopy is used to investigate electron-induc ed crystallization of thermally evaporated amorphous AlF3(a-AlF3). It is shown that this material undergoes a very complicated crystallizati on process with three crystalline substances (Al, AlF3, and Al2O3) for med as the dose increases. The sequence of the crystallization is high ly sensitive to the presence of water, which inhibits radiolytic disso ciation of a-AlF3 into Al and fluorine, reduces the dose required for the crystallization of a-AlF3, and causes the transformation of AlF3 i nto Al2O3. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.