Formation of compound semiconductor clusters by spontaneous alloying

Alloying behavior of antimony atoms into indium-cored aluminum clusters has been studied by in-situ measurements of transmission electron microscopy. When antimony is vapor-deposited onto aluminum clusters with an indium core of about 4 nm in mean diameter, antimony atoms quickly dissolve only into the shell-shaped region of aluminum to form the polycrystalline AlSb compound, and no alloying takes place in the indium core. Upon depositing antimony onto aluminum clusters with an indium core of about 1 nm in mean diameter, antimony atoms quickly dissolve into the shell-shaped region of aluminum to form an amorphous Al0.5Sb0.5 alloy.