Oxidation behavior of In[sub 95]Sn[sub 5] solid solution

Nanocrystalline indium-tin alloy particles, having the composition of In 95 Sn 5 , were prepared by the inert-gas condensation technique and then examined for the possible formation of a core-shell structure after oxidation and different heat treatments. The crystalline structure and phase(s) of the as-prepared and heat-treated samples were investigated by x-ray diffraction,differential scanning calorimetry, small-angle x-ray scattering, and high-resolution electron microscopy. The results showed that the oxidationtreatment led to highly faceted indium-tin oxide nanoparticles and indium-tin alloy grains with sizes in the nanometer range. No particles having a core-shell structure consisting of InSn alloy coated with oxide were detected.