The effects of quenching just after deposition for metastable compounds

It has been demonstrated that high rate d.c. magnetron sputtering can easily prepare materials such as Nb₃Ge and Nb₃Si in a metastable state. This sputtering-system was made in an effort to stabilize the metstable phases. Specimens were quenched just after sputtering from 1100° C to liquid N₂ temperature at the rate of 3500° C min^–1. The relation between quenching rate and superconducting onset temperture, T _c0, the transition width, T _c, and the lattice constant, a ₀ were examined. The results show that quenching just after sputtering is very useful in preparing metastable materials.