Bulk amorphous Ga-Sb semiconductors prepared by thermobaric treatment: Formation and properties

The multistage process of solid state amorphization and subsequent crystallization of the quenched 'white tin' high pressure phase of Ga-Sb alloys containing 20 to 80 at% Sb was studied at ambient pressure by differential scanning calorimetry. The heats of both amorphization and crystallization were exothermic and equal to (3.5 ± 0.5) and (8.3 ± 1.0) kJ/mol, respectively. Formation of the bulk amorphous alloys free of any crystalline inclusions was observed for compositions with 47.5 to 52.5 at% Sb. The structure of the amorphous GaSb produced by solid state amorphization was studied by neutron diffraction. It is found to be nearly identical to that of a sample prepared earlier by sputtering.