Electronic-structure study of the NiGa and the NiIn intermetallic compounds using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy

Polycrystalline Ni-Ga and Ni-In intermetallic compounds of various stoichiometric compositions have been examined by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The observed valence-band spectra for all the compounds are very similar to those for elemental Ni; those for Ni3Ga and NiIn agree rather well with the band-structure calculations of Kubo and Wakch [Kubo and Wakch, J. Phys. F17, 397 (1987)] and Colinet et al. [Colinet, Bessoud and Pasturel, Z. Metallkd 77, 798 (1986)], respectively. Only a partial filling of the empty Ni 3d states occurs on forming compounds with Ga or In.