Use of Pt markers in the study of solid-state reactions in the presence of an electric field

The use of Pt to mark the initial location of heterophase boundaries in solid-state reactions was extended to investigate the motion of interfaces during a thin-film solid-state reaction between In2O3 and MgO in the presence of an electric field. The Pt markers were prepared by sputtering a thin Pt film onto a single-crystal substrate. The resulting multilayer was then heated prior to thin-film deposition to de-wet the Pt film and thus form an array of small, isolated particles. These particles serve as fine-scale markers for tracking the motion of interfaces. However, there are certain situations in which the markers can move with the interface. © Microscopy Society of America 1998.