Compounds with the Ir3Ge7 Structure Type: Interpenetrating Frameworks with Flexible Bonding Properties

Phase formation and diffusion soldering in Pt/In, Pd/In, and Zr/Sn thin-film systems

“…A Bühler thin-film add-on device was used in a detector-scan configuration with incident x-ray beam angles of 3°and 15°. The indexing of the XRD spectra was performed using powder diffraction data 21 and mostly by a comparison with spectra calculated using the computer program PowderCell 2.3 (freeware) 22,23 and the crystal structure data from Häusermann et al 20 and Villars and Calvert. 24 Some of the sheared-off samples were inspected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in top view using a Camscan 44 (Obducat Camscan Ltd., Waterbeach, UK) with a 4pi energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis system and additionally with optical microscopy.…”

“…27 These data were taken by Okamoto 28 for constructing the previously accepted phase diagram. 14 A detailed study of the crystallographic structure of 'PdIn 3 ' was done by Häusermann et al 20 The authors heat-treated a mixture of 10at.%Pd and 90at.%In at 800°C for 2 days and cooled the samples with a rate of 0.16 K /min slowly down to room temperature. They isolated single crystals from these samples and found in single-crystal XRD and SEM/EDX measurements an In-rich phase identified as Pd 3 In 7 .…”

“…It will be shown later that the phase 'PdIn 3 ' must be corrected to Pd 3 In 7 . 20 Practical applications of Pt-In or Zr-Sn as systems for diffusion soldering could not be found.…”

Crystal Structure and High-Temperature Thermoelectric Properties of the Mo3−x Ru x Sb7 Compounds

“…To improve the thermoelectric properties, one can take advantage of the particular band structure of this metal since the Fermi level is located in the valence band just below a gap arising from strong d-p interactions. 11 Thus, adding electrons to the structure could result in a progressive transition from a metallic-like to a semiconducting state. Band-structure calculations showed that two more electrons per formula unit are required to position the Fermi level in the gap.…”

“…Band-structure calculations showed that two more electrons per formula unit are required to position the Fermi level in the gap. 11 The only attempt to add electrons to the structure was made by replacing some Sb atoms by Te atoms. 4,5 This partial substitution was found to markedly affect all the relevant properties involved in thermoelectricity, resulting in higher ZT values compared with those of the parent compound.…”