The reaction between solid layers to form a product phase has been studied using scanning calorimetry of multilayer Nb/Al and Ni/amorphous-Si thin films. The most striking feature for both materials systems is the occurrence of two maxima in the reaction rate during the formation of a single product phase, suggesting a two step growth process. A model has been developed in which the first step is taken to be the nucleation and two-dimensional growth to coalescence of the product phase, in the plane of the initial interface. The second step is taken to be the thickening of the product layer by growth perpendicular to the interface plane. The success of this simple model in describing the principal features of the experimental results on two different materials systems suggests that nucleation is an important aspect of phase formation and selection in these thin-film reactions.

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We have measured the noise of YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductor-normal-superconductor (SNS) junctions whose high normal-state resistances and characteristic frequencies make them suitable for THz frequency mixers. By directly measuring the 1 GHz power spectral density delivered to a low-noise 50 Ω radiometer system, the noise could be measured over a wide range of dc voltage and temperature, without complications due to 1/f noise, and without invoking any specific model. At a physical temperature of 4 K, the lowest noise junction had an available noise temperature of 31±2 K, corresponding to an effective noise temperature of the normal resistance of 9 K. The effective noise temperature of the normal resistance is approximately equal to the physical temperature at high temperatures, but approaches a limiting value at low temperatures, implying an excess current noise of unknown origin.

Phase formation kinetics in Nb/Al multilayered thin films having overall compositions of 25, 33, 50, and 75 at. % Al have been investigated using scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The first phase to form upon annealing the Nb/Al layered structure of all samples is the NbAls intermetallic. Calorimetry clearly identifies the NbAls formation to be a two-stage process. The first stage is the formation of a planar layer by nucleation and growth to coalescence while the second stage is the thickening of the planar layer. The large amount of heat released (and hence large volume fraction of NbAls formed) during the first reaction stage is consistent with heterogeneous nucleation at well-isolated sites in the Nb/Al interface. This is surprising in light of the large thermodynamic driving force expected for nucleation and suggests that the local nonequilibrium nature of the Nb/Ai interface greatly reduces the driving force for nucleation. The next phase observed in samples of 25 and 33 at. % Al is the Al5 superconducting phase, Nb3Al. The NbsAl growth completes a first reaction stage similar to the NbAls, but the subsequent thickening reaction stage is not observed without simultaneous Nb2Al growth. The high interface velocities derived from the calorimetry for formation of both NbAls and the Al5 Nb7A1 indicate that atomic transport must be by grain boundary diffusion. 1341

Time-division multiplexing (TDM) is the backup readout technology for the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU), a 3168-pixel X-ray transition-edge sensor (TES) array that will provide imaging spectroscopy for european space agency's Athena satellite mission. X-IFU design studies are considering readout with a multiplexing factor of up to 40. We present data showing 40-row TDM readout (32 TES rows + 8 repeats of the last row) of TESs that are of the same type as those being planned for X-IFU, using measurement and analysis parameters within the ranges specified for X-IFU. Single-column TDM measurements have bestfit energy resolution of (1.91 ± 0.01) eV for the Al Kα complex (1.5 keV), (2.10 ± 0.02) eV for Ti Kα (4.5 keV), (2.23 ± 0.02) eV for Mn Kα (5.9 keV), (2.40 ± 0.02) eV for Co Kα (6.9 keV), and (3.44 ± 0.04) eV for Br Kα (11.9 keV). Three-column measurements Manuscript