Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011
The electrical and microstructural changes of initially amorphous Cr75Si25 thin coevaporated alloy films have been studied as a function of temperature from room temperature to 950°C. Crystallization occurs in two stages. In the “primary” stage the major portion of the amorphous film crystallizes and a steep drop in resistivity occurs. In the “secondary” stage the amorphous residue crystallizes and is accompanied by a further gradual decrease in resistivity. The resistivity depends linearly on the volume fraction Vτ(t) crystallized to give Cr3Si only for Vτ(t) < 0.35.