Chen Hong

AG/SI MULTILAYERS WITH NANOMETER SIZED PARTICLES OF SILVER DURING ANNEALING PROCESS

Thein situ low angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to monitor the interdiffusion characteristics as well as the microstructure in Ag/Si multilayers with modulated wavelength 7. 64 nm when annealing from 323 to 573 K. The interdiffusion mechanism of Ag/Si multilayers with immiscibility is different from that of other metal/Si multilayers which are miscible. Phase separation takes place at 323 K, then silicon atoms diffuse into silver sublayers through silver grain boundaries and separate silver sublayers into nanometer sized silver particles gradually at higher temperature. The mean size of silver particles is about 5 nm. The activation energy and frequency factor are determined to be 0.24 eV and 2.02 x−20m2/s, respectively.