Local Structure of Compound-Forming Liquid Alloys

Liquid alloys between Te and multi-valent metals such as Ga, In and Sn alloys are classified as compound-forming liquid alloys since their electrical properties show anomalous compositional dependence around their stoichiometric composition. Their local structures have been determined from EXAFS analysis. Liquid Ga 40 Te 60 and In 40 Te 60 have a network strcuture just above the melting points which is composed of three-fold In atoms and two-fold Te atoms bonding to them, but this structure is unstable with increasing temperature. Liquid Sn 50 Te 50 is expected to have a looser bonding between Sn and Te compared with liquid In-Te mixtures from EXAFS and neutron diffraction measurements.