V–Cd nanoparticle-formed alloys: fabrication, phase composition and structure

Abstract

The results of the study of targeted sputtering and deposition of ultrafine vanadium and cadmium particles on substrates that are not heated and shifted with respect to the substrate plasma currents are revealed. As a result of the conducted studies, coatings were obtained in the range with a concentration of cadmium from 9.6 to 88.6 at.%. The critical size of vanadium particles capable of forming alloys with cadmium is 0.6 nm. The concentration limit for the presence of solid solutions of cadmium in vanadium is the cadmium content of ~37 at.%, at a higher cadmium content the film coating is represented by a mixture of cadmium phases and a solid solution of cadmium in vanadium. The dependence of the lattice parameter of α-vanadium on the content of cadmium in it corresponds to the expression: а [nm] = 8·10–4СCd + 0.3707, where СCd is the concentration of cadmium, at.%. On the surface of the sample in the region of solid solutions (31.6 at.% Cd), the presence of threadlike crystals of cadmium was found, the reason for the appearance of which is the lattice pressure of the matrix metal. Annealing of films rich in cadmium (69.5 at.%) in vacuum is accompanied by cracking of the coating and the formation of pores. The latter can be used as a method for obtaining porous vanadium.