| Iron silicides, the intermetallic compounds of Fe and Si, are the focus of this thesis. Iron silicides, especially ;The experimental investigation of iron silicides was divided into two components--the thin film work and the bulk diffusion couple work. For the first of these two parts, thin films of Fe were deposited on Si substrates and annealed to produce iron silicide layers. The growth and microstructure of the silicides were recorded, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as functions of time and annealing temperature. The nucleation controlled growth kinetics of ;The bulk diffusion couple work involved the construction and annealing of diffusion couples made from pieces of pure Fe and single crystal Si. Annealing was done at 710... |
