Palladium silicide oxide formations in Pd/SiO2 complex films

Pd/SiO2 composite films were fabricated by the ion-beam sputter-deposition technique using a Pd/SiO2 complex target, where the contents of Pd in the f ilms. were changed from 5 to 22%. According to TEM micrographs, the films w ere found to contain nanometer sized ultrafine particles with excellent uni formity. The average sizes of the particles were estimated to be 2.7, 3.1, and 3.8 nm for Pd contents of 5, 10, and 22%, respectively, According to XP S studies, it was found that Pd atoms predominantly form a palladium silici de when the Pd concentration is lower than 5%, whereas the amount of elemen tal Pd increases when the Pd concentration becomes higher than 10%. (C) 199 9 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.