GaSe formation by mechanical alloying Ga50Se50 mixture

Alloying of Ga with Se is observed in elemental Ga:Se=50:50 mixture upon high-energy ball milling. X-ray diffraction of samples milled in the 1/2<t<3 h range displays evidence of hexagonal gallium selenide (GaSe). At longer milling times t>10 h two wide bands are superimposed on the crystalline pattern, indicating that the main milling product at longer t is an amorphous phase. Differential scanning calorimetry shows that the amorphous phase is a Ga–Se phase and that it grows in concentration with t. Raman scattering provides modes of both amorphous and crystalline GaSe phases.