Alloying effects of Sn and Si on wetting and energetics of solid Au/SiC interfaces

The wetting and energetics of solid Au-Sn/SiC and Au-Si/SiC interfaces were studied by a solid state wetting technique, which involves the equilibrati on of small metal crystallites on SIC substrates under ultra high vacuum co nditions. Contact angles made by the crystallites on monocrystalline alpha- SiC have been determined, and the surface compositions of the crystallites and of the substrate have been measured. From these measurements, both the compositions as well as the energies of metal/SiC interfaces were extracted by means of the Young-Dupre equation, and monolayer or multilayer models o f interfacial composition. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserv ed.