Palladium as a contact material for InSb semiconductors - The In-Pd-Sb phase diagram

The ternary In-Pd-Sb phase diagram was investigated in the compositional range up to approximately 60at.%Pd, covering the phase relationships of the compound semiconductor InSb. The investigation included differential thermal analyses (DTA), x-ray powder diffraction, and electron probe microanalyses (EPMA). The ternary equilibrium phase relations were studied for three isothermal sections at 300°C, 450°C, and 700°C, respectively. Nine invariant ternary-phase reactions were identified in the temperature range 150-750°C. A complete reaction scheme was constructed in the corresponding composition range, and the liquidus surface was derived from DTA data. In addition, six isopleths were constructed from the combined data.