FORMATION OF CRYSTALLINE AGXNI1-X SOLID-SOLUTIONS OF UNUSUALLY HIGH SUPERSATURATION BY LASER-ABLATION DEPOSITION

Laser ablation was used in a vapor quenching method to deposit thin Ag-Ni films at room temperature. The films contained substantial amounts of a polycrystalline nonequilibrium AgxNi1-x solid solution, as evidenced by x-ray and electron diffraction. The unusually high degree of supersaturation attained (up to 44 at.% Ag) has not been observed before for a system exhibiting such a strong demixing behavior. The x-ray diffraction sin2psi method was employed to determine the strain-free lattice parameter of the solid solution. The solid solution decomposed by heating the film.