Properties of the Ti<Subscript>40</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>10</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>36</Subscript>Pd<Subscript>14</Subscript> BMG Modified by Sn and Nb Additions

The results of investigation of the influence of additions of 2 and 3 at.% of Sn and simultaneously of Sn and 3 at.% Nb on microstructure and properties of the bulk metallic glasses of composition (Ti₄₀Cu_36?x Zr₁₀Pd₁₄Sn _x )_100?y Nb _y are reported. It was found that the additions of Sn increased the temperatures of glass transition (T _g), primary crystallization (T _x ), melting, and liquidus as well as supercooled liquid range (ΔT) and glass forming ability (GFA). The nanohardness and elastic modulus decreased in alloys with 2 and 3 at.% Sn additions, revealing similar values. The 3 at.% Nb addition to the Sn-containing amorphous phase decreased as well all the T _g, T _x , T _L, and T _m temperatures as ΔT and GFA; however, relatively larger values of this parameters in alloys containing larger Sn content were preserved. In difference to the previously published results, in the case of the amorphous alloys containing small Nb and Sn additions, a noticeable amount of the quenched-in crystalline phases was not confirmed, at least of the micrometric sizes. In the case of the alloys containing Sn or both Sn and Nb, two slightly different amorphous phase compositions were detected, suggesting separation in the liquid phase. Phase composition of the alloys determined after amorphous phase crystallization was similar for all compositions. The phases Cu₈Zr_3, CuTiZr, and Pd₃Zr were mainly identified in the proportions dependent on the alloy compositions.     

Normal state of metallic hydrogen sulfide

A generalized theory of the normal properties of metals in the case of electron–phonon (EP) systems with a nonconstant density of electron states has been used to study the normal state of the SH₃ and SH₂ phases of hydrogen sulfide at different pressures. The frequency dependence of the real Re Σ (ω) and imaginary ImΣ (ω) parts of the self-energy Σ (ω) part (SEP) of the Green’s function of the electron Σ (ω), real part Re Z (ω), and imaginary part Im Z (ω) of the complex renormalization of the mass of the electron; the real part Re χ (ω) and the imaginary part Imχ (ω) of the complex renormalization of the chemical potential; and the density of electron states N (ε) renormalized by strong electron–phonon interaction have been calculated. Calculations have been carried out for the stable orthorhombic structure (space group Im3?m) of the hydrogen sulfide SH₃ for three values of the pressure P = 170, 180, and 225 GPa; and for an SH₂ structure with a symmetry of I4/mmm (D4h1?7) for three values of pressure P = 150, 180, and 225 GP at temperature T = 200 K.     

Magnetotransport of Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZnSnS<Subscript>4</Subscript> single crystals in two regimes of variable–range hopping conduction

The resistivity, ρ(T), and the magnetoresistance (MR) of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) single crystals are investigated at temperatures T = 2–300 K in pulsed magnetic fields of B up to 20 T. The Mott variable–range hopping (VRH) conductivity over localized states of the defect acceptor band is observed between T ~ 50–150 K. The Shklovskii–Efros (SE) VRH conduction over the states of the Coulomb gap is found below T ~ 3–4 K. The positive MR is observed at all temperatures and magnetic fields, its value decreasing with T. In the Mott VRH conduction region, MR follows the law ln ρ(B) ∝ B ² up to the highest applied fields. The joint analysis of the resistivity and MR data in this region has yielded values of the localization radius as well as a set of important microscopic parameters, including the mobility threshold in the acceptor band, the values of the density of localized states near the Fermi level and the critical concentration of the metal–insulator transition. In the SE region, the MR law above is observed only in much smaller fields, transformed into those of lnρ(B) ∝ B ^2/3 or ∝ B ^3/4 when B increases. Such transformation, accompanied by a strong increase of the localization radius, give evidence for an important role of scattering and interference phenomena in the VRH conduction at low temperatures.     

Inverse magnetocaloric effect in the uniaxial paramagnet with non-Kramers ions

It has been shown that, in a uniaxial paramagnet with non-Kramers ions with a spin of S = 1 and single-ion anisotropy of the easy-plane type (DS _Z ² ), there is a low-field (μ₀ H ≤ D) and low-temperature (k _B T < 0.68D) region in which the isothermal magnetization along the hard direction H||OZ increases the magnetic entropy by ΔS _M (T, ΔH = H _f - H _i > 0) > 0 and the adiabatic magnetization along the same direction reduces the sample temperature by ΔT _ad(T, ΔH > 0) < 0 (inverse magnetocaloric effect (MCE)). The main features of the inverse MCE in uniaxial paramagnets with large spins (S = 2, 3, …) of the non-Kramers ions have been discussed.     

Magnetoresistive properties of Ni-doped La<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> manganites

La_0.7Sr_0.3Mn_1?x Ni _x O₃ (x = 0, 0.025, 0.050 and 0.075) ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The partial substitution of Mn by Ni²⁺ leads to a decrease in cell volume as well as a structural transition from the rhombohedral to the orthorhombic structure. Ni²⁺ doping increases the electrical resistivity, decreases the semiconductor–metal transition temperature (T _ms) and relatively enhances the room temperature magnetoresistance (MR), especially in x = 0.025 and around T _ms. With respect to conduction mechanism, the small polaron hopping (SPH) and the variable range hopping (VRH) models were used to examine conduction in the semiconducting region.     

Influence of Nb on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-Sn ultrafine eutectic alloy

In this study, A series of the high strength (T₈₂Sn₁₈)_100-xNb_x (x=0, 1, 3, 5, and 9 at%) ultrafine eutectic alloys with large plasticity are developed by suction casting method. The Ti₈₂Sn₁₈ binary eutectic alloy consists of a mixture of a hcp Ti₃Sn and a α-Ti phases having the plate-like lamellar type duplex structure with micro scaled eutectic colony. From the (T₈₂Sn₁₈)₉₇Nb₃, the alloy display structural heterogeneous distribution of ultrafine-scaled phases composed of β-Ti(Nb) solid solution surrounded by alternating plate-like shaped Ti₃Sn and α-Ti phases. With increasing Nb content, the volume fraction of β-Ti is continuously increased, which induced improving mechanical properties both strength and plasticity. Especially, (Ti₈₂Sn₁₈)₉₁Nb₉ alloy has the outstanding combination of the high strength (σ _y ≈1.1 GPa) and large plasticity (ε _p ≈36%) at room temperature.     

Changes in the temperatures of phase transformations of the Ni<Subscript>2</Subscript>MnGa alloy upon substitution of nickel for manganese

Temperatures of phase transformations of a number of Ni₂MnGa-based alloys (four compositions), which are characterized by substitution of nickel for manganese at an unchanged gallium content (25 at %), have been determined. As the nickel concentration increases with respect to the stoichiometric composition (or the electron concentration e/a increases), the liquidus (T _liq), solidus (T _sol), and martensitic transformation (T _mart) temperatures increase, whereas the magnetic transformation temperature (T _C) decreases slightly.     

Size dependence of the melting temperature of metallic nanoclusters from the viewpoint of the thermodynamic theory of similarity

The generalized Thomson formula T_m = T_m^(∞)(1-δ)R for the melting point of small objects T_m has been analyzed from the viewpoint of the thermodynamic theory of similarity, where R is the radius of the particle and T_m^(∞) is the melting point of the corresponding large crystal. According to this formula, the parameter δ corresponds to the value of the radius of the T_m(R^-1) particle obtained by the linear extrapolation of the dependence to the melting point of the particle equal to 0 K. It has been shown that δ = αδ₀, where α is the factor of the asphericity of the particle (shape factor). In turn, the redefined characteristic length δ₀ is expressed through the interphase tension σ_sl at the boundary of the crystal with its own melt, the specific volume of the solid phase v_s and the macroscopic value of the heat of fusion λ_∞:δ₀ = 2σ_slv_s/λ_∞. If we go from the reduced radius of the particle R/δ to the redefined reduced radius R/r₁ or R/d, where r₁ is the radius of the first coordination shell and d ≈r₁ is the effective atomic diameter, then the simplex δ/r₁ or δ/d will play the role of the characteristic criterion of thermodynamic similarity. At a given value of α, this role will be played by the simplex Estimates of the parameters δ₀ and δ₀/d have been carried out for ten metals with different lattice types. It has been shown that the values of the characteristic length δ₀ are close to 1 nm and that the simplex δ₀/d is close to unity. In turn, the calculated values of the parameter δ agree on the order of magnitude with existing experimental data.     

Hall Effect in Germanium Doped with Different Impurities

The influence of different impurities on the kinetics of electronic processes in n-Ge<Sb> single crystals is investigated. A substantial decrease in the charge carrier mobility in the region of predominantly impurity scattering (at 77 K) in n-Ge<Sb + Si> crystals, as well as in germanium crystals doped with the rareearth elements, is detected, and this effect is explained.     

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Sb-Doped TiFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sn Heusler Compounds

Ternary Heusler compounds form a numerous class of intermetallics, which include two families with general compositions ABC and AB₂C, usually referred to as half- and full-Heusler compounds, respectively. Given their tunable electronic properties, made possible by adjusting the chemical composition, these materials are currently considered for the possible use in sustainable technologies such as solar energy and thermoelectric conversion. According to theoretical predictions, Sb substitution in the TiFe₂Sn full-Heusler compound is thought to yield band structure modifications that should enhance the thermoelectric power factor. In this work, we tested the phase stability and the structural and microstructural properties of such heavily doped compounds. We synthesized polycrystalline TiFe₂Sn_1?xSb_x samples, with x?=?0, 0.1, 0.2 and 1.0 by arc melting, followed by an annealing treatment. The structural characterization, performed by x-ray powder diffraction and microscopy analyses, confirmed the formation of the pseudo-ternary Heusler structure (cF16, Fm-3m, prototype: MnCu₂Al) in all samples, with only few percent amounts of secondary phases and only slight deviations from nominal stoichiometry. With increasing Sb substitution, we found a steady decrease in the lattice parameter, confirming that the replacement takes place at the Sn site. Quite unusually, the as-cast samples exhibited a higher lattice contraction than the annealed ones. The fully substituted x?=?1.0 compound, again adopting the MnCu₂Al structure, does not form as stoichiometric phase and turned out to be strongly Fe deficient. The physical behavior at room temperature indicated that annealing with increasing temperature is beneficial for electrical and thermoelectrical transport. Moreover, we measured a slight improvement in electrical and thermoelectrical properties in the x?=?0.1 sample and a suppression in the x?=?0.2 sample, as compared to the undoped x?=?0 sample.     

Anisotropy of the electric transport properties of decagonal Al–Cu–Co(Fe) quasicrystals

The method of growth from a melt solution was used to obtain iron-alloyed (0.08 at %) Al–Cu–Co single crystals with a decagonal symmetry. The temperature dependences of the electrical resistivity in magnetic fields of 0–18 T were measured using samples oriented in the periodic direction (ρ_p(T)) and in the quasi-periodic plane (ρ_q(T)). A strong anisotropy of the resistivity was observed; the ρ_p(T) curve is linear, whereas the ρ_q(T) curve is approximated well by a second-order polynomial. A strong anisotropy of the magnetoresistance was also observed; a positive magnetoresistance Δρ/ρ ~ 10^–3 for the current flowing in the quasiperiodic plane; and a weak (close to zero) negative magnetoresistance for the current flowing along the periodic direction.     

Studying nanocrystalline superconducting Nb<Subscript>3</Subscript>Sn layers in Nb/Cu-Sn composites of various design using NMR and magnetic susceptibility methods

The paper presents the results of measurements of the temperature dependence of the shape of the NMR lines of ⁹³Nb and of the real part of the dynamic magnetic ac susceptibility χ′(T) for multifilamentary superconducting Nb₃Sn-based composites with various geometry of niobium filaments (ordinary cylindrical, paired cylindrical, and ringlike (tubular)) produced by the bronze technology. In all the composites studied, a superconducting (SC) transition was observed in diffusional Nb₃Sn layers at T _c ～ 17 K. Its width is ΔT _c ≈ 3 K and is independent of the composite design. The difference in the absolute value of χ′(T) in the composites of ordinary assembly and with paired filaments is less by a factor of 1.5 than that of a composite with ring filaments. In the experimental NMR spectra of ⁹³Nb, subspectra of different intensities have been distinguished, whose number is three in ordinary assemblies and in assemblies with paired filaments, and two in composites with ring filaments. Estimates of the intensities of each subspectrum in each experimental spectrum of the composites studied has been correlated with a definite diffusional layer of Nb₃Sn; thus, the number of grains of a corresponding layer in each composite has been estimated. In addition, it has been established that in the first two composites the shape of the NMR line of ⁹³Nb is asymmetric, which indicates the existence of an anisotropy of the Knight shift in Nb₃Sn layers in both the normal and superconducting states, whereas in the composite with ring filaments the line is symmetric and the Knight shift is isotropic. The magnitude of the anisotropic Knight shift in composites with isolated and paired cylindrical filaments is ⁹³ K _an ≈ 0.02%. The anisotropy in them appears to be due to the different character and magnitude of interaction of grains of the Nb₃Sn layers with the bronze matrix and the residual Nb, which leads to different shifts of the subspectrum frequencies and, correspondingly, to the shape asymmetry of the NMR line of ⁹³Nb. At the same time, in a composite with ring filaments the interaction of the Nb₃Sn layer with the bronze matrix occurs on both sides, is, apparently, of the same character and is compensated in magnitude. In this case, in the first two composites the tin distribution across the diffusional layers of Nb₃Sn is nonuniform and a significant deviation from the stoichiometric composition is observed.     

Phase Field Modeling of Joint Formation During Isothermal Solidification in 3DIC Micro Packaging

In this paper, a computational multi-phase field approach is utilized to study the formation of the Cu/Sn/Cu micro-joint in 3-Dimensional Integrated Circuits (3DICs). The method considers the evolution of the system during isothermal solidification at 250 °C for the case of two different interlayer thicknesses (5 and 10 µm). The Cu/Sn/Cu interconnection structure is important for the micro packaging in the 3DIC systems. The thermodynamics and kinetics of growth of η-Cu₆Sn₅ and ?-Cu₃Sn interfacial intermetallics (IMCs) are investigated by coupling the multi-phase field method with CALPHAD approach. The interaction of the phases is addressed by assuming a metastable condition for the Cu/Sn reacting system. The simulations start with the nucleation and rapid growth of the η-Cu₆Sn₅ IMCs at the initial stage, the nucleation and growth of ?-Cu₃Sn IMCs at the intermediate stage ending with the full consumption of Sn layer and the domination of ?-Cu₃Sn IMCs at the later stages. In addition, comparing different diffusion rates through the grain boundary of η phases show that their morphology is the direct consequence of balance of kinetic forces. This work provides a valuable understanding of the dominant mechanisms for mass transport in the Cu/Sn/Cu low volume interconnections. The results show that the phase field modeling is successful in addressing the morphological evolution and growth of IMC layers in the 3DIC joint formation.     

Cohesive mechanism of the FeCr/Ni Interface: A first-principles study

Based on previous experimental results, a series of FeCr/Ni interface models have been constructed and analyzed using a first-principles pseudopotential plane-wave method. Several parameters, such as the ideal work of separation (W), formation enthalpy (ΔH), cohesive energy (ΔE), and electronic structure were calculated in order to analyze the bonding performance and adhesion mechanisms of elements along an FeCr/Ni interface. The largest ideal work of separation was obtained for the Fe(100)/Ni(100) interface, which implies that this interface model presented the most stable structure among a series of crystal interface indices, e.g., (100), (110), and (111). With Cr doping, the W of the FeCr(100)/Ni(100) interface was increased by 101.571 mJ/m². The corresponding ΔH and ΔE values also indicated that the FeCr(100)/Ni(100) interface model was strengthened by doping with chromium. Furthermore, the overlap population ratio, R _LBOP (R _LBOP= 1.04), of FeCr(100)/Ni(100) was smaller than that of Fe(100)/Ni(100) (R _LBOP = 1.35), which implies that the toughness of the Fe(100)/Ni(100) interface can be improved by the presence of chromium impurities. Moreover, electronic structure analysis provided an understanding of the mechanical performance of the various Fe(Cr)/Ni interface models. Thus, our findings open a potential avenue for the comprehensive study of composite material designs.     

Optimum Combination of Thermoplastic Formability and Electrical Conductivity in Al–Ni–Y Metallic Glass

Both thermoplastic formability and electrical conductivity of Al–Ni–Y metallic glass with 12 different compositions have been investigated in the present study with an aim to apply as a functional material, i.e. as a binder of Ag powders in Ag paste for silicon solar cell. The thermoplastic formability is basically influenced by thermal stability and fragility of supercooled liquid which can be reflected by the temperature range for the supercooled liquid region (ΔT_x) and the difference in specific heat between the frozen glass state and the supercooled liquid state (ΔC_p). The measured ΔT_x and ΔC_p values show a strong composition dependence. However, the composition showing the highest ΔT_x and ΔC_p does not correspond to the composition with the highest amount of Ni and Y. It is considered that higher ΔT_x and ΔC_p may be related to enhancement of icosahedral SRO near T_g during cooling. On the other hand, electrical resistivity varies with the change of Al contents as well as with the change of the volume fraction of each phase after crystallization. The composition range with the optimum combination of thermoplastic formability and electrical conductivity in Al–Ni–Y system located inside the composition triangle whose vertices compositions are Al₈₇Ni₃Y₁₀, Al₈₅Ni₅Y₁₀, and Al₈₆Ni₅Y₉.     

Thermoelectric Properties and Surface States in the Layers of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript> Topological Insulators

The thermoelectric properties and Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations of monocrystalline layers of a topological insulator (ТI) of n-type bismuth telluride were investigated. The monocrystalline Bi₂Te₃ layers were fabricated by the mechanical exfoliations of layers from a monocrystalline ingot of the appropriate composition. The cyclotron effective masses, the Dingle temperature, and the quantum mobilities of charge carriers were calculated from the experimental data by SdH oscillations both in longitudinal (H ║ I) and in perpendicular (H ⊥ I) magnetic fields at temperatures in the range of 2.1–4.2 K. It was found that the phase shift of the Landau levels index is 0.5 both for the parallel and for the perpendicular magnetic fields associated with the Berry phase of surface states. The power factor in the temperature range of 2–300 K was calculated from the temperature dependences of resistance and thermal e.m.f. It was stated that the power factor α²σ has a maximum value in the temperature range of 100–250 K, which corresponds to the maximum values for perfect monocrystals described in the literature. Taking into account that the heat conductivity in the thin layers is essentially lower than in the bulk samples, it is reasonable to expect a considerable increase in the thermoelectric efficiency over a wide temperature range, which is of great importance for the development of new highly effective thermoelectric materials based on thinner Bi₂Te₃ ТI layers for practical applications in thermogenerators and coolers.     

Composition dependences of thermodynamical properties associated with Pb-free ternary,quaternary, and quinary solder systems

In the present study, Chou’s General Solution Model (GSM) has been used to predict the enthalpy and partial enthalpies of mixing of the liquid Ag–In–Sn ternary, Ag–In–Sn–Zn quaternary, and Ag–Au–In–Sn–Zn quinary systems. These are of technical importance to optimize lead-free solder alloys, in selected cross-sections: x_In/x_Sn = 0.5/0.5 (ternary), Au–In_0.1–Sn_0.8–Zn_0.1, Ag–In_0.1–Sn_0.8–Zn_0.1 (quaternary), and t = x_Au/x_In = 1, x_In = x_Sn = x_Zn (quinary) at 1173, 773, and 773 K, respectively. Moreover, the activity of In content in the ternary alloy system Ag–In–Sn has been calculated and its result is compared with that determined from the experiment, while the activities of Ag contents associated with the alloys mentioned above have been calculated. The other traditional models such as of Colinet, Kohler, Muggianu, Toop, and Hillert are also included in calculations. Comparing those calculated from the proposed GSM with those determined from experimental measurements, it is seen that this model becomes considerably realistic in computerization for estimating thermodynamic properties in multicomponent systems.     

Influence of magnetic field on the tensoresistive effect in iron-based amorphous alloys

The effect of an applied magnetic field H on the tensoresistive effect in Fe-T-B (T = Fe, Cr, and Co) and Fe-B-Si amorphous metallic alloys has been studied. The applied magnetic field H is shown to substantially affect the coefficient of tensoresistance (CTR) π determined upon a longitudinal deformation of samples. The principal cause of such an effect is a change in Young’s modulus under the effect of a magnetic field, i.e., the ΔE effect. Based on the performed analysis, an equation for the determination of the ΔE effect from the measurement of the π(H) dependences is suggested. The results obtained indirectly confirm the assumption on the fact that the anomalous value of the coefficient of tensoresistance in amorphous alloys is due to a distortion of the spherical symmetry of the structure factor.     

Magnetostructural investigation of ball-milled cobalt-copper alloy

In this work we investigate a metastable inhomogeneous Co-Cu alloy produced by mechanical alloying. We use both conventional structural method (X-ray diffraction) and magnetic measurements of M(T) and M(H) dependences to obtain additional information about the process of mechanical alloying.