TEM investigation of the topotactic reaction of (001) and (111) Ag films and Te

The formation, structure and morphology of Ag2Te phase developed by the reaction of single crystalline Ag films with subsequently vacuum deposited Te vapour was investigated. Silver films 30-40 nm in thickness were deposited at 85-120 grad C by thermal evaporation in vacuum at a base pressure of 4x10-5 mbar. The NaCl substrates were cleaved and saw-cut in order to achieve (001) and (111) surfaces, respectively. The surfaces were treated with water and chlorine prior to Ag deposition. This preparation resulted in single crystalline Ag films of (001) and (111) orientation. Tellurium was deposited onto the silver at a rate about 0.1 nm/s at 200 grad C i.e. above the temperature of the polymorphic phase transformation from monoclinic to fcc (Tc=150 grad C). The Ag-Te reaction occurred during the Te deposition. The samples were investigated by TEM and SAED in a 200 kV Philips CM 20 electron microscope equipped with a Ge detector Noran EDS system. In the fully tellurized layers, however, the monoclinic (low temperature) Ag2Te phase was found. It exhibited large single crystals consisting of strictly oriented mosaic grains of 1-2 mm size. Surprisingly, the orientation of the telluride was identical (010) on both the (001) and (111) Ag parent films. It is suggested that the final orientation appears during the polymorphic phase transition while cooling to room temperature, regardless to Ag orientation, due to the lower surface energy of the (010) orientation of monoclinic phase nuclei. (Authors)