A method for forming a crystalline film of a paramagnetic sodium thallium type intermetallic compound and apparatus for performing said method

摘要

An intermetallic compound having a dual diamond crystal structure (e.g. LiAl, LiCd or LiZn) is formed on a substrate surface. A layer containing the constituent elements is first formed on the substrate, and is then heated in a magnetic field set at a selected angle (e.g. 0 DEG or 90 DEG ) to the layer. A crystalline film of the compound is formed with a major crystallographic plane aligned with the magnetic field. The substrate may be a sheet of one of the constituent metals (e.g. Al, Cd or Zn), and the layer formed by impinging ions of the other metal (e.g. Li) onto the substrate surface. …??The crystalline film produced can be used as a substrate for the growth of crystalline silicon. …??Apparatus for performing the method includes means (105, 106) for positioning and heating (110) the substrate (104) within the magnetic field established by the magnet (101, 102). Means (107) can also be provided for firing ions of one of the metals (e.g. Li, 108) onto the substrate (104). Similar means (113) can be provided to fire silicon (112) ions onto the crystalline film after its formation. The apparatus may be contained in a vacuum chamber.