Metastable phases in laser‐irradiated Pt‐Si and Pd‐Si thin films

Amorphous phases of Pt‐Si and Pd‐Si covering a wide range of compositions are produced by laser‐induced melting and quenching of vapor‐deposited thin films. It is concluded that with the present cooling rates all compositions except those close to the congruently melting phases and the pure elements lead to amorphous films. Thermal decomposition of the Si‐rich amorphous films reveals the formations of at least two metastable crystalline phases in the case of Pt‐Si, and a low‐temperature nucleation of the equilibrium PdSi phase in the case of Pd‐Si.