Structural Phase Transformations during a Solid-State Reaction in a Bilayer Al/Fe Thin-Film Nanosystem

The processes of phase formation during a solid-state reaction between Fe and Al nanolayers have been investigated by the in situ electron diffraction method. It is established that the solid-state reaction at the interface between iron and aluminum nanolayers begins at ≈100°C with the formation of a disordered Al solid solution in α-Fe. It is shown that intermetallic phases (FeAl6 and/or Fe2Al5, FeAl, and Fe3Al) are successively formed upon further heating.