Improved quality and inhibited aggregation of Ag–In alloy films

Abstract

Ag atoms agglomeration at environmental conditions limits its applications. Here, the influences of indium addition on the microstructure and performance of Ag films were investigated. The results show that the particle size, pore size, and roughness of Ag–In alloy films are greatly reduced compared with those of the Ag film. A small amount of indium can efficiently inhibit the agglomeration/migration of Ag atoms and thus significantly improve the reflective performance at damp heat environment. These results show that alloying is an effective method to inhibit Ag atoms migration/agglomeration at environmental conditions.