The detection of chemical order in non-crystalline alloys from their valence s bands

Abstract

It is suggested that chemical ordering in two-component amorphous or liquid alloys may be detected from the shape of their valence s band density of states, as this depends in a very general fashion on whether or not unlike-atom bonding predominates. X-ray photoemission spectra of alloys of different compositions may therefore provide a useful complement to diffraction studies for structural determination. The systems a-GaAs, a-GeSe, a-GeTe, a-MgBi, a-MgSb, l-TlTe and l-InTe are considered as examples.