The kinetics of the formation of a solid solution in an Ag–Pd polycrystalline film system

The kinetics of homogenization of an Ag–Pd film system with a total thickness of 120 nm and a grain size of 5–10 nm has been studied by means of in situ TEM heating. The film system has been formed by the sequential deposition of components in a vacuum on the substrate at room temperature. It has been shown that diffusion processes are activated, starting from the temperature 453 K, resulting in complete homogenization of the film system at 573 K with preservation of its fine-grained structure. The effective diffusion coefficient in the Ag–Pd system was measured as 10−17–10−18 m2/s at 553 K. A possible mechanism of homogenization is discussed.