New ideas for the melting pot

Melting of Pb Nanocrystals Embedded in Al, Si, and Cu Matrices

Dispersions of nanoscale Pb particles embedded in Si, Al, and Cu matrices have been synthesized by ion implantation and subsequent annealing. The melting transitions of the embedded Pb nanocrystals with epitaxial particle/matrix interfaces were investigated by means of in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction. Due to different levels of lattice mismatch, the Pb nanoprecipitates experience a different elastic strain in different matrices. Further analysis on the lattice constants of the embedded Pb nanocrystals gives unambiguous evidence of the strain-related pressure effect, which is particle size and matrix dependent, on tuning of the melting behavior of the embedded Pb nanoparticles.

Superheating of confined Pb thin films

In this work we report, for the first time, an experimental observation of a superheating phenomenon in metal thin films. By means of cold rolling, Pb thin films of about 20 nm thick were sandwiched by Al layers, and between them semicoherent epitaxial Pb/Al interfaces were formed. In situ x-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the confined Pb thin films could be superheated for at least 6 degrees C. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that such a substantial superheating in the confined two-dimensional thin films may originate from suppression of growth of the molten droplets by the epitaxial Al/Pb/Al confinement, instead of suppression of melt nucleation for the confined particle superheating.