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.

The pyrite films with the thickness in 70-600nm were prepared by annealing the iron films with the thickness in 25-150nm at 673K. The structural, optical and electrical characteristics were investigated and the effect of film thickness on film properties was discussed. The pyrite films with different thickness have the optical absorption edges changed in the range 0.93-1.0eV. With increasing in film thickness, electrical resistivity tends to increase and carrier concentration tends to decrease. It is speculated that surface defects in thinner films could play a more important role in the effect on film properties whereas grain boundary defects in thicker films could play a more important role in the effect on film properties.

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.

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.

Cu-6wt%Ag and Cu-6wt%Ag-1wt%Cr microcomposites were prepared by heavy drawing. The morphology of filamentary bundles was observed and the tensile strength and electrical conductivity determined. The effect of Cr addition was discussed according to the changes in the microstructure, strength and conductivity with various draw ratios for both alloys.