Effect of the residual gases catalytic activity on the island tin films crystallization

The effect of pressure and composition of residual gases during the samples preparation on supercooling during the crystallization of island tin films on an amorphous carbon substrate has been studied. It has been found that inert gases in the residual atmosphere contribute to a decrease in the crystallization temperature, while methane group gases increase it on the contrary. With a constant composition of the residual atmosphere and a constant condensation rate, supercooling increases with the decrease of pressure according to the logarithmic law. Maximum supercooling of tin microdrops ΔT = 198 K is reached when the number of metal atoms coming in on the substrate is 2–3 orders greater than the number of the residual gases ones.