Characterization of the ternary Ag-Ge-Sn alloys

Abstract

Up to now in our group few ternary systems based on Ag-Ge-X (X=Sb, Bi, Ga and In) [1,2] were examined. The phase diagram of Ag-Ge-Sn ternary system has not been investigated up to now. Focure on those alloys is due to the technical importance of the Ge-based alloys [3,4] and their special application as a phase change memory materials (PCM materials) [5-8]. Selected alloys for experimental tests were from three vertical sections and two isothermal sections. As-cast samples from Ag-GeSn, Ge-AgSn, and Sn-AgGe vertical sections were experimentally study by using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Annealed samples at 200 and 300 °C were experimentally study by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Experimentally determined results were used for thermodynamic modeling of the ternary system. New ternary parameters for Liquid phase are introduced and good agreement between calculated phase diagrams and experimental results has been reached. Thermodynamic data for three sub-binary systems are taken from literature.