Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Hydrogen depth profiling using the 6. 385-MeV resonance in the sup 1 H( sup 15 N,. alpha. gamma. ) sup 12 C nuclear reaction

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5732049

The use of {sup 15}N analysis ion beams as a probing beam can provide a powerful and non-destructive technique for detection of hydrogen in the near surface region of materials. The strong, isolated resonance at 6.385 MeV in the {sup 1}H({sup 15}N, {alpha}{gamma}){sup 12}C nuclear reaction indices a {gamma}-ray yield which is proportional to the hydrogen content of the material at the depth where the nuclear reaction occurs. The {sup 1}H depth profiling using this nuclear reaction resonance is done by increasing the energy of the {sup 15}N analysis ion beam from 6.385 MeV in steps of several KeV. The measured induced 4.43 MeV {gamma}-rays from this nuclear reaction are representative of the hydrogen presence in the material at the depth where the ion beam has the resonance energy. Hydrogen depth profiling using this reaction is done in the energy range of 6 to 10 MeV. The measured {gamma}-ray yield of a standard sample, with a well known amount of hydrogen, and the measured {gamma}-ray yield of the unknown sample and its non-hydrogen stoichiometry are used to determine the H atomic fraction of the unknown sample. The non-hydrogen stoichiometry of the unknown sample is frequently obtained by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). A multilayer film of hydrogenated Si and SiO{sub 2} was also hydrogen depth profiled. The results show that the hydrogen incorporated in either Si or SiO{sub 2} layers is extremely stable. The hydrogen depth profiling of this multilayer also shows that hydrogen depth of profiling with the 6.385 MeV resonance in the {sup 1}H({sup 15}N, {alpha}{gamma}){sup 12}C nuclear reaction can have a good depth resolution of 700 {angstrom} at depth of 1.7 {mu}m.

Research Organization:
Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States)
OSTI ID:
5732049
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English