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Uniaxial compression tests were performed on micron-sized columns of amorphous PdSi to investigate the effect of sample size on deformation behavior. Cylindrical columns with diameters between 8 μm and 140 nm were fabricated from sputtered amorphous Pd77Si23 films on Si substrates by focused ion beam machining and compression tests were performed with a nanoindenter outfitted with a flat diamond punch. The columns exhibited elastic behavior until they yielded by either shear band formation on a plane at 50° to the loading axis or by homogenous deformation. Shear band formation occurred only in columns with diameters larger than 400 nm. The change in deformation mechanism from shear band formation to homogeneous deformation with decreasing column size is attributed to a required critical strained volume for shear band formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the mechanical properties of silver/nickel multilayered thin films using nanoindentation. Introduction to the concept of nanoindentation; Experimental details; Results and discussion.

Presents information on a study which measured the stresses in (111)-textured Ag/Ni multilayered thin films from the substrate curvature and from lattice parameter measurements using x-ray diffraction. Analysis of a thin film on a substrate under a biaxial stress; Measurement details; Results and discussion.

Presents a study that measured crystallization rates in pure metals by monitoring changes in reflectivity on a picosecond time scale during pulsed laser quenching. Use of multilayered films to establish the relation of the transient decreases in reflectivity to melting; Results of depth profiling with Auger electron spectroscopy on laser-irradiated areas; Measurement of crystallization velocities.

Modern confocal microscopes enable high-precision measurement in three dimensions by collecting stacks of 2D (x-y) images that can be assembled digitally into a 3D image. It is difficult, however, to ensure position accuracy, particularly along the optical (z) axis where scanning is performed by a different physical mechanism than in x-y. We describe a simple device to calibrate simultaneously the x, y, and z pixel-to-micrometer conversion factors for a confocal microscope. By taking a known 2D pattern and positioning it at a precise angle with respect to the microscope axes, we created a 3D reference standard. The device is straightforward to construct and easy to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sputtered amorphous Ge4Sb1Te5, Ge1Sb2Te4, Ge2Sb2Te5, and Ag0.055In0.065Sb0.59Te0.29 thin films were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Upon continuous heating, heat release due to structural relaxation of the amorphous phase between 0.5 and 1.0 kJ/mol was observed. This value depends on the thermal history of the sample. Preannealing of the amorphous phase revealed the glass transition temperature Tg within 10 K of the crystallization temperature upon continuous heating at 40 K/min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents corrections to errors in the article 'Low-temperature on high-miscut Si(111) mediated by thin overlayers of Pb,' by L.-C. Wei and C.-s. Su. Growth of high quality silicon (Si) films on viscinal Si; Misinterpretation of ion channeling spectra; Use of too thin samples for the adequate determination of minimum yield from measured spectra.