Optimum Combination of Thermoplastic Formability and Electrical Conductivity in Al–Ni–Y Metallic Glass

Both thermoplastic formability and electrical conductivity of Al–Ni–Y metallic glass with 12 different compositions have been investigated in the present study with an aim to apply as a functional material, i.e. as a binder of Ag powders in Ag paste for silicon solar cell. The thermoplastic formability is basically influenced by thermal stability and fragility of supercooled liquid which can be reflected by the temperature range for the supercooled liquid region (ΔT_x) and the difference in specific heat between the frozen glass state and the supercooled liquid state (ΔC_p). The measured ΔT_x and ΔC_p values show a strong composition dependence. However, the composition showing the highest ΔT_x and ΔC_p does not correspond to the composition with the highest amount of Ni and Y. It is considered that higher ΔT_x and ΔC_p may be related to enhancement of icosahedral SRO near T_g during cooling. On the other hand, electrical resistivity varies with the change of Al contents as well as with the change of the volume fraction of each phase after crystallization. The composition range with the optimum combination of thermoplastic formability and electrical conductivity in Al–Ni–Y system located inside the composition triangle whose vertices compositions are Al₈₇Ni₃Y₁₀, Al₈₅Ni₅Y₁₀, and Al₈₆Ni₅Y₉.