Electron diffraction data on nucleation and growth of an hcp phase in homogeneous (Ar) and heterogeneous (Ar-Kr) clusters

Abstract

The nucleation and growth of the hcp phase in homogeneous (Ar) and heterogeneous (Ar-Kr) clusters formed in adiabatically expanding supersonic jets of the inert gases are studied by electron diffraction. The average size of the clusters ranges from 2 × 103 to 1 × 105 atoms/cluster. A threshold size of the clusters is found at which an hcp phase forms along with the fcc structure. The relative amount of the hcp phase in the single crystal clusters increases with their size. The relative volume of the hcp phase in the heterogeneous clusters exceeds that in homogeneous clusters of the same size. A correlation is established between the relative volume of the hcp phase in the clusters and the number of “defect” planes contained in the fcc matrix from which hcp phase nucleates. It is found that in very large (δ ≥ 150 Å) polycrystalline aggregations the fraction of the hcp phase reaches a maximum and does not increase as the clusters become larger. A mechanism is proposed for the nucleation and growth of the hcp phase in inert gas clusters.