"Direct" measurement of the growth rate during the C49 to C54 transformation in TiSi2: Activation energy

The growth rate of the C54 phase of TiSi2 inside a C49 matrix has been measured by micro-Raman imaging by following the time evolution of the C54 grain radius. The measurement is the most direct that has been achieved up to now, being completely independent of the nucleation process. From the Arrhenius plot, an activation energy of 3.8+/-0.6 eV the growth process alone has been determined. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.