Microstructural studies of ultrarapidly quenched foils of zinc-doped indium–tin eutectic alloys

Abstract

Alloys with the composition of Sn (46.5 at.%)–In (50.7 at.%)–Zn (2.8 at.%) were fabricated by using the ultrarapid quenching process, with quenching rate up to 105 K/s. These materials were obtained in the shape of foils with a thickness varying from 30 to 70 µm. Their phase composition, microstructure, grain structure, and texture have been analyzed and revealed that these alloys consist of solid solutions based on the β phase (In3Sn) and γ phase (InSn4) with inclusions of zinc. Aging processes in the foils revealed that the volume fraction of zinc (VZn) increases with the increase in the samples exposure time to the air at room temperature. The electron backscatter diffraction analysis has shown that these foils have a microcrystalline structure. The mechanism of the texture formation in these materials has been explained.