Thin metalloid

Ion implantation and ion mixing produce amorphous alloys as thin as only several tens of nanometres. Implantation of metalloids such as phosphorus in austenitic stainless steel has been known to produce amorphous surface alloys having high corrosion resistance" ". 

A malleable substance (from rhe Latin word for hammer ) is one that can be hammered into thin sheets (Fig. B. 11). A ductile substance (from the Latin word for drawing out ) is one that can be drawn out into wires. Copper, for example, is a metal. It conducts electricity, has a luster when polished, and is malleable. It is so ductile that it is readily drawn out to form electrical wires. Sulfur, on the other hand, is a nonmetal. This brittle yellow solid does not conduct electricity, cannot be hammered into thin sheets, and cannot be drawn out into wires. The distinctions between metals and metalloids and between metalloids and nonmetals are not very precise (and not always made), but the metalloids are often taken to be the seven elements shown in Fig. B.12 on a diagonal band between the metals on the left and the nonmetals on the right. 

The elements can be divided into categories metals, nonmetals, and metalloids. Examples of each appear in Figure U. Except for hydrogen, all the elements in the left and central regions of the periodic table are metals. Metals display several characteristic properties. For example, they are good conductors of heat and electricity and usually appear shiny. Metals are malleable, meaning that they can be hammered into thin sheets, and ductile, meaning that they can be drawn into wires. Except for mercury, which is a liquid, all metals are solids at room temperature. 

We classify the elements to the left of this line, excluding the metalloids and hydrogen, as the metals. The metals have physical properties that we normally associate with metals in the everyday world—they are solids (with the exception of mercury), they have a metallic luster, and are good conductors of both electricity and heat. They are malleable (capable of being hammered into thin sheets) and ductile (capable of being drawn into thin wires). And as we will see later in this book, the metals tend to lose electrons in chemical reactions. 

The first ALD thin films were deposited in the 1970s using elemental zinc and sulphur, reacting to form ZnS at 250-450 °C [44], Although metals as ALD precursors seems to be the most straightforward method of producing compound thin films, this type of process is limited by the generally low vapour pressure of elemental metals. Therefore only zinc and cadmium have been used as metal sources in ALD processes. However, some metalloids, e.g. selenium and tellurium, can be used as well. 

Classifying the elements There are three main classifications for the elements—metals, nonmetals, and metalloids. Metals are elements that are generally shiny when smooth and clean, solid at room temperature, and good conductors of heat and electricity. Most metals also are malleable and ductile, meaning that they can be pounded into thin sheets and drawn into wires, respectively. Figure 6-6 shows several applications that make use of the physical properties of metals. 

Would an element that is a solid, is a good conductor of electricity, and is able to be hammered into thin sheets likely be classed as a metal, a nonmetal, or a metalloid ... 

Figure 7.18 Elemental silicon, which is a metalloid. Although it looks metallic, silicon is brittle and is a poor thermal and electrical conductor compared to metals. Large crystals of silicon are sliced into thin wafers for use in integrated circuits. 

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