The formation of nickel germanide has been examined over a range of low temperatures (200-400 °C) in an attempt to minimize the thermal budget for the process. Cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was used to determine the texture of the germanide layer and the morphology and constituent composition of the Ge/NiGe interface. The onset and completion of reaction between Ni and Ge were identified by means of a heated stage in combination with in-situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The stages of reaction were also monitored using measurements of sheet resistance of the germanides by the Van der Pauw technique. The results have shown that the minimum temperature for the initiation of reaction of Ni and Ge to form NiGe was 225 °C. However, an annealing temperature > 275 °C was necessary for the extensive (and practical) formation of NiGe. Between 200 and 300 °C, the duration of annealing required for the formation of NiGe was significantly longer than at higher temperatures. The stoichiometry of the germanide was very close to NiGe (1:1) as determined using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

The ferromagnetic bulk metallic glass (BMG) Nd60Fe30Al10system exhibits extremely large coercivities at low temperature and moderate coercivities near room temperature. The magnetic hardness, as best evidenced by the onset of magnetic irreversibility, was studied in bulk suction-cast and melt-spun alloys with the nominal composition Nd60Fe30Al10. Systematic x-ray diffraction studies of the degree of crystallinity performed as a function of position within the bulk suction-cast samples is found to correlate with the variation in the room-temperature magnetic hysteresis character. X-ray diffraction data clearly shows the presence of both crystallites and amorphous material on the samples' outmost surfaces; the amorphous phase content increases with distance into the cast sample. These results underscore the importance of solidification conditions and attendant nanophase selection, on the resultant magnetic properties of this class of alloys.

A compact tube furnace has been developed for high temperature X-ray diffraction studies using high energy synchrotron radiation. The furnace design has a low absorption path in transmission yet allows for a high degree of control of the sample atmosphere and a minimal temperature gradient across the sample. The design allows for a maximum temperature of 1500°C with a variety of atmospheres including inert, reducing, and oxidizing. Preliminary results obtained at the SRI-CAT I-ID undulator line (60keV) at the APS facility and the A2 24 pole wiggler line (45keV) at CHESS on the Ti5Si3Z5 (Z = C, N, O) system will be presented to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach.

The implantation of Au into A1203 followed by thermal annealing at 1100°C leads to dramatic changes in the optical properties. The linear and nonlinear optical properties are correlated to the presence of small Au precipitates which form during annealing.

We report new measurements of the regrowth behaviour of Pb-implanted SrTiO3 crystals in the presence of water vapour. Doubly labelled water vapour, D218O, at greater than 95% enrichment in each isotope has been added to the annealing ambient and depth profiles of D and 18O have been obtained from the regrown crystals using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The D and 18O content has also been measured by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) using the reactions D(3He,p)4 He and 18O(p,α)15 N. The crystals were regrown in a conventional furnace under a controlled gas ambient and time-resolved optical reflectivity (TRR) was used to dynamically monitor the regrowth rate during the anneal. An enhancement of the solid-phase epitaxial regrowth rate is observed when water vapour is added to the annealing ambient. This rate increase is accompanied by incorporation of D throughout the regrown layer. 18O is incorporated into the lattice but does not appear to penetrate deep enough to influence the regrowth rate.

The amorphous state can be produced in α-Al2O3 by ion beam induced displacements at 77 K or by displacements combined with chemical effects at room temperature. Progress toward understanding the amorphization process has been made from studies of the short-range order, electronic charge on implanted species, and the critical composition for amorphization. Results are presented for implantation of Al + O in the stoichiometric ratio, zirconium, iron, and tin.

Implantation of iron Into α-Al2O3 at 77 K produces an amorphous state for fluences greater than about 3 × 1016 Fe/cm2. Iron in the as-implanted (amorphous) specimens is distributed among two Fe2+, two Fe4+, and the Fe° states. The conversion electron Mössbauer (CEMS) spectra for a sample containing 7 × 1016 Fe/cm2 show all iron to be converted to Fe3+ after annealing in oxygen for 1 h at 700°C and above. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows the structure to be mostly Y-A120, after the 900°C anneal and all α-Al2O, after the 1100°C anneal.

Late components of brain event-related potentials reflect aspects of selective attention, stimulus evaluation, and possibly memory update mechanisms. Several of these components were measured during an auditory target detection task, performed by 20 schizophrenic and 20 normal subjects. Both the amplitude of those components and a more general late amplitude measure were significantly reduced in schizophrenics, for both target and non-target stimuli. One general late amplitude measure, from the scalp vertex, could alone correctly classify 85% of patients and 95% of controls. The source of these differences may lie in a protracted positive potential shift.