Stability and phase changes in thin layers of rare-earth metals/iron and other binary compounds

Abstract The structure, thermal stability and phase transformations in thin Gd–Fe films have been studied. The films were obtained by means of thermal evaporation in vacuum. At room temperature of substrates ( T s ) amorphous films were formed, at T s = 300–500 K – amorphous–crystal condensates, and at T s > 500K – polycrystalline films. The crystal structure of condensates was determined at various temperatures and crystallization of amorphous films was found to have a heterogeneous character. During crystallization of Gd 2 Fe 17 amorphous films, formation of two phases, viz. Gd 6 Fe 23 and a-Fe was observed. In the films obtained at substrates temperature > 500K, the presence of three phases was established: a hexagonal phase Gd 2 Fe 17 of the Th 2 Ni 17 -type structure, a rhombohedral phase Gd 2 Fe 17 of the Th 2 Zn 17 -type structure and a hexagonal phase GdFe 5 of the CaCu 5 -type structure. GdFe 2 films had a face-centered cubic structure, expected in bulk GdFe 2 .