REACTIONS BETWEEN PD THIN-FILMS AND INP

The reactions between Pd thin films and <001> oriented InP have been studied in detail. Palladium was deposited on InP by electron beam evaporation to a thickness of 60 nm. Specimens were then annealed in vacuum at temperatures up to 500-degrees-C for as long as several days. An amorphous ternary phase (Pd almost-equal-to 3InP) formed during deposition. During annealing, several crystalline ternary phases were detected. Pd2InP and Pd5InP were detected at lower annealing temperatures, i.e. from 225-275-degrees-C. Pd2InP grew first, exhibiting an epitaxial relationship with InP, followed by preferred growth of Pd5InP within the Pd2InP layer. Both phases later decomposed (almost-equal-to 400-degrees-C) producing Pd2lnP(II), which also grew epitaxially on InP. At temperatures greater than 400-degrees-C, Pd2InP(II) decomposed to PdIn and PdP2, Which were thermodynamically stable in contact with InP.