REDUCTION OF SELENIUM ALLOY FRACTIONATION

摘要

An alloy treatment process is disclosed which comprises providing particles of an alloy comprising amorphous selenium and an alloying component selected from the group consisting of tellurium, arsenic, and mixtures thereof, the particles having an average particle size of at least about 300 micrometers and an average weight of less than about 1000 mg, forming crystalline nuclei on at least the surface of the particles while maintaining the substantial surface integrity of the particles, heating the particles to an initial temperature between about 50.degree.C and about 80.degree.C for at least about 30 minutes to form a thin, substantially continuous layer of crystalline material on the surface of the particles while maintaining the core of selenium alloy in the particles in an amorphous state, and rapidly heating the particles to at least a second temperature below the softening temperature of the particles that is at least 20.degree.C higher than the initial temperature and between about 85.degree.C and about 130.degree.C to crystallize about 5 to 100 percent by weight of the amorphous core of selenium alloy in the particles while maintaining the integrity of the alloy particles and inhibiting the loss of selenium rich material. The resulting crystallized particles in shotor pellet form may be rapidly heated in a vacuum chamber to vacuum deposit the alloy onto a substrate.