HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY STUDY OF SPONTANEOUS ALLOYING IN GOLD CLUSTERS

The alloying behaviour of copper atoms into gold clusters has been stu died by high-resolution electron microscopy. Preparation of nanometre- sized gold clusters and subsequent copper deposition onto the gold clu sters has been carried out with the use of a miniature double-source e vaporator that has been directly set at the tip of a specimen holder, Upon the deposition of copper, nanometre-sized gold clusters quickly c hanged into Au-Cu solid solution clusters even at ambient temperature. It has been confirmed that such spontaneous alloying takes place not via a quasimelting process but via a purely solid-state process.