Copper-silver bimetallic strips prepared by cold roll cladding have been treated by diffusion annealing in the temperature range 250-800℃. The interface bonding level and the hardness in the matrix copper and silver have been determined and the microstructure in the interface region has been observed. The interface bonding level is essentially improved under the conditions of annealing at both temperatures 400℃ and 800℃. A high diffusion temperature can make the hardness reduce in the strips. Recrystallization just starts in the strips annealed at 250℃ and mainly emerges at 400℃. Annealing above 600℃ can produce the fine grain areas between the interface and the silver matrix. If diffusion treatment induces the recovery, recrystallization or the partial fusion at the bonding interface, the interface bonding level can be enhanced.

Iron films deposited by magnetron sputtering were annealed in 80kPa sulfur vapor at 673 and 773K for different time. The structural, optical and electrical properties were determined. Pyrite particles formed at 673K reveal an aggregate morphology evolved from some transitional iron sulfides. With increasing annealing time, the crystallites become distinguishable and the aggregate morphology tends to disappear. The pyrite grains formed at 773K have more uniform distribution and show more obvious propagation with annealing time than those formed at 673K. The values of electrical resistivity of the films prepared at both temperatures and optical absorption edge of the film prepared at 673K significantly increase with annealing time. The films prepared at 673K generally have higher optical absorption edges, lower electrical resistivity, higher carrier concentration and lower charge mobility than those prepared at 773K. Film bulk integrity, residual iron amount and grain boundary area could be considered as the factors responsible for the film property changes with annealing temperature and time.

The crystal structure, crystallite morphology, film composition and absorption properties were investigated for the pyrite films sulfurated from iron films. The pyrite particles nucleate mainly from the transitional phases of iron sulfides formed in the films during 673K sulfurating while the pyrite particles nucleate directly from the iron bisulfides formed in the films during 773K sulfurating. There are higher sulfur contents and more obvious grain propagation in the film sulfurated at 773K than in that sulfurated at 673K. With prolonging sulfuration time at 673K, the optical absorption edge tends to increase and approaches to the ideal value as sulfurated over 20h. Low absorption edges exist in the films sulfurated at 773K.

Cu/Ag bimetallic strips were prepared by roll bonding in the temperature range of 293-873K and sinter treating in the temperature range of 523-1073K. The interface peel strength was determined and the peeled surface morphology observed. The high peel strength is obtained from excellent metallurgical joint by atom interdiffusion and matrix recrystallization under the condition of sintering in 523-673K for the bimetallic strips rolled at ambient temperature. Sintering in the temperature range of 873-1073K results in greatly lost peel strength from more voids formed at the interface although some local contacts on the mated surface could melt and merge at 1073K. Low peel strength from poor metallurgical bonding is obtained if the bimetallic strips are only roll bonded at the temperature lower than 623K. The peel strength dramatically loses due to the thick oxide layer existed between the two strip surfaces when the bimetallic strips are roll bonded at excessively high temperature.

The Cu-12wt.%Ag Microcomposite was prepared and the influence of final annealing temperature on the microstructure, mechanical properties and conductivity were investigated. The recrystallization at temperatures lower than 300℃ occurs only within the fibrous phases. The strength, hardness and conductivity notably change with annealing temperatures at 200-400℃. The fibrous structure annealed at lower temperatures maintains higher strength but lower conductivity. The equiaxial structure formed at higher annealing temperatures shows higher conductivity but lower strength. An optimal combination of the strength and conductivity can be obtained by annealing at 300℃ to induce recrystallizing and retain still the filamentary morphology formed in the strong drawing.