BULK AMORPHOUS GA-SB SEMICONDUCTORS PREPARED BY THERMOBARIC TREATMENT- FORMATION AND PROPERTIES

The multistage process of solid state amorphization and subsequent cry stallization of the quenched 'white tin' high pressure phase of Ga-Sb alloys containing 20 to 80 at% Sb was studied at ambient pressure by d ifferential scanning calorimetry. The heats of both amorphization and crystallization were exothermic and equal to (3.5 +/- 0.5) and (8.3 +/ - 1.0) kJ/mol, respectively. Formation of the bulk amorphous alloys fr ee of any crystalline inclusions was observed for compositions with 47 .5 to 52.5 at% Sb. The structure of the amorphous GaSb produced by sol id state amorphization was studied by neutron diffraction. Tt is found to be nearly identical to that of a sample prepared earlier by sputte ring.