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The reactivity of a Cr‐Te multilayer film consisting of 326 Cr/Te double‐layers with about 88(3) at% Te was investigated with in‐situ X‐ray diffraction. The occurrence of a superstructure reflection caused by the multilayer system is observed. During the annealing procedure between 80 and 90 °C the layer‐by‐layer arrangement is destroyed and elemental Te crystallizes. After 6 h isothermal annealing at 140 °C CrTe3 starts to crystallize. The amount and the crystal size of CrTe3 increase with raising temperature and Te is consumed during the growth process. At 220 °C the formation of crystalline Cr2Te3 is observed and between 220 and 260 °C CrTe3 is completely decomposed into Cr2Te3. The two Cr tellurides grow as highly textured materials. The size of CrTe3 crystals is significantly larger than that of Cr2Te3. For a co‐deposited Cr‐Te film with composition 77(3) at% Te the tri‐telluride and elemental Te crystallize simultaneously. The texture of CrTe3 is less pronounced and different reflections of the tri‐telluride occur besides the (h00)‐reflections. Up to 160 °C a pronounced increase of the crystallite size is observed and the crystals are significantly larger than those obtained with the multifilm sample. At 130 °C the crystallization kinetics seem to be controlled by nucleation.

The design, development, and performance of a low-cost deposition system for thin film multilayers are presented. The aim for the construction of the apparatus was to prepare multilayer films of variable composition with a single layer thickness ranging from a few to hundreds of angstroms. To ensure a high flexibility of the film stoichiometries up to five different elements can be deposited independently onto the substrate via electron beam sources or Knudsen cells. The design of the transfer system has been kept very simple although it has a secure load-unload system to provide reliable transport from the antechamber to the deposition chamber and vice versa. The films can be deposited simultaneously onto four substrate platelets. The deposition process is controlled by a computer and all process-parameters are monitored. The shutters of the evaporation cells are activated by a computer providing reproducible deposition processes.

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