Surface Alloys of Icosahedral AlMnSi with Phason Distortions

AbstractThe microstructures produced by electron-beam melting and by ion-beam mixing Al/Mn and Al/Mn/Si layers on Si substrates are examined. The treatments were found to incorporate Si from the substrate into the surface alloy. Several phases formed, depending on treatment, including α- and β-AlMnSi, μ-AlMn (epitaxial on Si{111}), and amorphous and icosahedral AlMnSi. The observed microstructures relate the novel icosahedral phase to other phases and elucidate its formation kinetics. Diffraction patterns from large icosahedral grains (up to 5 μm) show distortions in the position and shape of weak (but not strong) reflections, as predicted for phason defects in a quasicrystalline lattice, one of the structures proposed for icosahedral phases.