Structure and phase composition of a chromium-silicon system modified by high-current electron beams

The results of studies of the structure-phase state of a chromium-coated silicon substrate system’s subsurface layer treated with low-energy high-current electron beams, 50–200 μs in duration and with an energy density of 15 J/cm 2 , are reported. The data of raster electron microscopy and X-ray structural and spectral microanalysis revealed the formation of a chromium-doped silicon layer with a thickness of 2–38 μm, chromium-enriched silicon dendrites, chromium disilicide CrSi 2 , and an amorphous eutectic layer (the characteristic cross-section size of the chromium-enriched phase extrusions is ∼50 nm). The structure-phase transformations are discussed taking into account the peculiarities of the distribution of temperature, diffusion and convective mass-transfer in the modified layer.