Initial interface reaction in indium/amorphous selenium multilayer thin films

Interface reactions between In and amorphous Se (a-Se) layers have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in vapour-deposited multilayer thin films. The initial interface reaction started at around 100 degrees C with the formation of an In2Se stoichiometric compound. A kinetic analysis indicated that the interface reaction is characterized by the two-dimensional growth of preexisting In2Se nuclei to coalescence in the plane of the original In-a-Se interface. The heating onset and peak temperatures and the isothermal peak time for the reaction in the DSC scans were found to be independent of the multilayer modulation wavelength, implying a constant nucleation site density with different multilayer wavelengths.