Indium (In) and other low melting point metals are used as interconnects in a variety of hybridized circuits and a full understanding of the metallurgy of these interconnects is important to the reliability and performance of the devices. This paper shows that room temperature focused ion beam (FIB) preparation of cross-sections, using Ga+ or Xe+ can result in artifacts that obscure the true In microbump structure. The use of modified milling strategies to minimize the increased local sample temperature are shown to produce cross-sections that are representative of the In bump microstructure in some sample configurations. Furthermore, cooling of the sample to cryogenic temperatures is shown to reliably eliminate artifacts in FIB prepared cross-sections of In bumps allowing the true bump microstructure to be observed.

Sphalerite is the main source of In – a ‘critical’ metal widely used in high-tech electronics. In this mineral the concentration of In is commonly correlated directly with Cu content. Here we use X-ray absorption spectroscopy of synthetic compounds and natural crystals in order to investigate the substitution mechanisms in sphalerites where In is present, together with the group 11 metals. All the admixtures (Au, Cu, In) are distributed homogeneously within the sphalerite matrix, but their structural and chemical states are different. In all the samples investigated In3+ replaces Zn in the structure of sphalerite. The In ligand distance increases by 0.12 Å and 0.09–0.10 Å for the 1st and 2nd coordination shells, respectively, in comparison with pure sphalerite. The In–S distance in the 3rd coordination shell is close to the one of pure sphalerite. Gold in synthetic sphalerites is coordinated with sulfur (NS = 2.4–2.5, RAu–S = 2.35 ± 0.01 Å). Our data suggest that at high Au concentrations (0.03–0.5 wt.%) the Au2S clusters predominate, with a small admixture of the Au+ solid solution with an Au–S distance of 2.5 Å. Therefore, the homogeneous character of a trace-element distribution, which is commonly observed in natural sulfides, does not confirm formation of a solid solution. In contrast to Au, the presence of Cu+ with In exists only in the solid-solution state, where it is tetrahedrally coordinated with S atoms at a distance of 2.30 ± 0.03 Å. The distant coordination shells of Cu are disordered. These results demonstrate that the group 11 metals (Cu, Ag and Au) can exist in sphalerite in the metastable solid-solution state. The solid solution forms at high temperature via the charge compensation scheme 2Zn2+↔Me++Me3+. The final state of the trace elements at ambient temperature is governed by the difference in ionic radii with the main component (Zn), and concentration of admixtures.

In the Gåsborn area, West Bergslagen, central Sweden, Fe-rich, indium-bearing (0.1–2.0wt.% In) sphalerite is replaced by Fe-poor sphalerite containing minute inclusions of chalcopyrite, roquesite and an unnamed In-Zn-rich phase. Fe-rich, In-bearing sphalerite is primary; indium occurs as a roquesite molecule in solid solution. Fe-poor sphalerite, roquesite, chalcopyrite and the unnamed In-Zn-rich phase were formed from In-bearing sphalerite by secondary processes, characterized by the so-called ‘chalcopyrite disease’.

Polymetallic quartz veins, with up to 1500 ppm indium, have been discovered recently in the Sarvlaxviken area within the 1.64 Ga anorogenic multiphase Wiborg rapakivi batholith and adjacent 1.90 Ga Svecofennian crust in SE Finland. Evidence from primary fluid inclusions in the Sarvlaxviken area provides new information on the hydrothermal transport and depositional processes of metals in anorogenic granites. Fluid inclusions with variable aqueous liquid and vapour proportions (5–90 vol.% vapour) occur in quartz, cassiterite and fluorite belonging to three generations of polymetallic quartz veins. Microthermometry indicates that the veins were deposited at temperatures that range from ~500°C down to <100°C and salinities from 0 to 16 eq. mass% NaCl. Fluid inclusion data show that the depositional conditions were similar regardless of vein generation. The interpreted depositional processes involve phase separation with a combination of condensation, cooling and boiling of an initially low-salinity (<3 eq. mass% NaCl) aqueous magmatic vapour phase enriched in CO2-F-Cl-S and metals. Fluid inclusions with low salinities dominate, but higher salinities are recorded in metal-rich parts of the veins. The turbulent fluid flow, with complex geometry and temperature-salinity patterns, may explain why sulfide and/or oxide opaque minerals occur irregularly, and are locally the dominating vein minerals, but disappear completely into barren parts of the quartz veins. All fluids are considered to have been generated by the F-rich Marviken granite (and related granite dykes), which show all geochemical criteria for an ore-fertile granite. The quartz veins investigated in the adjacent Svecofennian country rocks are considered to represent the very last stage of a fluid with similar characteristics to the fluid responsible for the ore formation in the Sarvlaxviken area, but that had cooled to <100°C.

High concentrations of indium (In) and selenium (Se) have been reported in the Neves-Corvo volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposit, Portugal. The distribution of these ore metals in the deposit is complex as a result of the combined effects of early ore-forming processes and late tectonometamorphic remobilization. The In and Se contents are higher in Cu-rich ore types, and lower in Zn-rich ore types. At the deposit scale, both In and Se correlate positively with Cu, whereas their correlations with Zn are close to zero. This argues for a genetic connection between Cu, In and Se in terms of metal sourcing and precipitation. However, re-distribution and re-concentration of In and Se associated with tectonometamorphic deformation are also processes of major importance for the actual distribution of these metals throughout the whole deposit. Although minor roquesite and other In-bearing phases were recognized, it is clear that most In within the deposit is found incorporated within sphalerite and chalcopyrite. When chalcopyrite and sphalerite coexist, the In content in sphalerite (avg. 1400 ppm) is, on average, 2–3 times higher than in chalcopyrite (avg. 660 ppm). The In content in stannite (avg. 1.3 wt.%) is even higher than in sphalerite, but the overall abundance of stannite is subordinate to either sphalerite or chalcopyrite. Selenium is dispersed widely between many different ore minerals, but galena is the main Se-carrier. On average, the Se content in galena is ~50 times greater than in either chalcopyrite (avg. 610 ppm) or sphalerite (avg. 590 ppm). The copper concentrate produced at Neves-Corvo contains very significant In (+Se) content, well above economic values if the copper smelters recovered it. Moreover, the high In content of sphalerite from some Cu-Zn ores, or associated with shear structures, could possibly justify, in the future, a selective exploitation strategy for the production of an In-rich zinc concentrate.

The identification and accurate characterization of discrete grains of rare minerals in sulfide base-metal ores is usually a cumbersome procedure due to the small grain sizes (typically <10 μm) and complex mineral assemblages in the material. In this article, a new strategy for finding and identifying indium minerals, and quantifying their composition and abundance is presented, making use of mineral liberation analysis (MLA) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The method was successfully applied to polymetallic massive sulfide ores from the Neves-Corvo deposit in Portugal. The presence of roquesite and sakuraiite could be systematically detected, their concentration quantified by MLA measurements, and their identity later confirmed by EPMA analyses. Based on these results, an almost complete indium deportment could be obtained for the studied samples. This validates the approach taken, combining automated mineralogy data with electron microprobe analysis. A similar approach could be used to find minerals of other common minor and trace elements in complex base-metal sulfide ores, for example Se, Ge, Sb, or Ag, thus permitting the targeted development of resource technologies suitable for by-product recovery.

Results of Rietveld refinement for indium nitride data collected in the temperature range 105–295 K are presented. Acicular microcrystals of indium nitride prepared by reaction of liquid indium with nitrogen plasma were studied by X-ray diffraction. The diffraction measurements were carried out at the Swiss-Norwegian Beamline SNBL (ESRF) using a MAR345 image-plate detector. Excellent counting statistics allowed for refinement of the lattice parameters of InN as well as those of the metallic indium secondary phase. In the studied temperature range, the InN lattice parameters show a smooth increase that can be approximated by a linear function. Lattice-parameter dependencies confirm the trends indicated earlier by data measured using a conventional equipment. The relative change of both the a and c lattice parameters with increasing the temperature in the studied range is about 0.05%. The axial ratio slightly decreases with rising temperature. The experimental value of the free structural parameter, u=0.3769(14), is reported for InN for the first time. Its temperature variation is found to be considerably smaller than the experimental error. The thermal-expansion coefficients (TECs), derived from the linearly approximated lattice-parameter dependencies, are αa=3.09(14)×10−6 K−1 and αc=2.79(16)×10−6 K−1. The evaluated TECs are generally consistent with the earlier data. For the present dataset, the accuracy is apparently higher for both, the lattice parameters and thermal-expansion coefficients, than for the earlier results. The refined lattice parameter cIn of the indium secondary phase exhibits the known strongly nonlinear behavior; a shift (ΔT equal about −50 K) of the maximum in cIn(T) dependence is observed with respect to the literature data.

Chordomas are rare neoplasms originating along the neuraxis. Although they do not usually show cytological atypia, metastases have been reported in 30 per cent of cases. Survival rates in cases of skull base locations are low, and local recurrence is common after local excision. Radiation therapy is used in post-operative treatment and proton radiation therapy as the primary treatment. In the present paper we present the case of a 50-year-old Caucasian man affected by chordoma of the clivus, with liver and chest metastases, relapsed after several surgical local excisions, to discuss improvements in therapeutic and imaging techniques. Indium111 (In111) pentetreotide single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was employed to assess the presence of somatostatin receptors and to treat the tumour with radiolabelled Y90-DOTA-lanreotide. Imaging, performed 2 months afterwards, showedstable disease in the lungs but a local progression in the metastases, in comparison with pre-treatment uptake. These data suggest the usefulness of radiolabelled somatostatin analogues in the diagnosis and therapy of chordomas.

Multiwafer Planetary Reactor is a promising system for large-scale production of heterostructures for LED's based on III-group nitrides. Analysis of chemical processes occurring in the reactor allows one to get insight into specific mechanisms governing growth of nitride based heterostructures. In the present paper results of modeling analysis of MOVPE of InxGa1−xN layers in AIX-200 Reactor and AIX 2000 HT Planetary Reactor are reported. The model used for MOVPE process analysis accounts for gas flow, heat transfer, and multicomponent mass transport along with gas phase and surface chemical reactions. Results of the modeling analysis of In transport and incorporation into the solid phase are compared with experimental data. It is shown that the model predicts reasonably well the In incorporation during MOVPE of InGaN under In/(In+Ga) ratio in the gas phase less than 20%.