Electronic structure of Pd-based bulk metallic glasses

From high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of PdxNi(80-x)P 20 bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) we observe bonding states in the ternary gl asses that cannot be simulated by linear combinations of the valence bands of the binaries. Thus, the bonding in the ternary glasses is qualitatively different from those of the binary alloys of this composition range. Furthe r, we observe that there are more such states in Pd40Ni40P20 than in Pd40.5 Cu40.5P19, explaining the greater glass-formability of the former. Within t he bulk glass formation range, 30 less than or equal to x less than or equa l to 60, the valence band of the most stable glass, Pd40Ni40P20, is found t o be a linear combination of those of the glasses at the extremes of this r ange. Comparison of XPS core level binding energies of glasses and crystals in PdxNi(80-x)P20 show that the electronic structure of glasses is closest to that of the corresponding crystals at x = 30, which agrees with a minim um in the heat of crystallization for this composition. (C) 2000 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.