Solid-phase reactions, self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, and order-disorder phase transition in thin films

The results of experimental studies of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in double-layer Cu/Au thin-film systems are presented. It is shown that the synthesis initiation temperature for a Cu/Au film is determined by the order-disorder phase-transition temperature in the Cu-Au system. The order-disorder transition temperature for thin films is found to be lower than for the bulky samples. It is assumed that the temperatures of initiation of solid-phase reactions in thin films can be associated with the structural phase-transition temperatures. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".