title: Large reaction rate enhancement in formation of ultrathin AuSi eutectic layers.
abstract: Metal-semiconductor eutectic liquids play a key role in both the fundamental understanding of atomic interactions and nanoscale synthesis and catalysis. At reduced sizes they exhibit properties distinct from the bulk. In this work we show an unusual effect that the formation of AuSi eutectic liquid layers is much easier for smaller thicknesses. The alloying reaction rate is enhanced by over 20 times when the thickness is reduced from 300 to 20 nm. The strong enhancement is attributed to a strain-induced increase in the chemical potential of the solid layer prior to the alloying reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: D Frank
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Ogletree
authors.forename: Zuzanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liliental-Weber
authors.forename: Daryl C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chrzan
authors.forename: Junqiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu