Reactions at the interface between multi-component glasses and metallic lithium films

The reactions of vacuum deposited thin films of lithium with various complex glasses have been explored using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In contrast to lithium reactions with simple glasses such as silica or boron oxides, the reactions are predominantly those of the network modifiers such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. XPS and x-ray induced Auger lineshapes indicate the migration of the network modifier to the near surface region followed by its reduction. In the case of magnesium, there is evidence for stable alloy formation with unreacted lithium following these migration and reduction steps.