Auger study of surface carbon and oxygen on thorium following ion bombardment

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · J. Vac. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.569714· OSTI ID:6807602

Bastasz, R; Colmenares, C

The composition of a thorium metal surface has been monitored using Auger electron spectroscopy following Ar/sup +/ bombardment at different temperatures. After extended Ar/sup +/, bombardment, enough contaminated overlayers were removed to expose a surface region containing only thorium, bulk impurities, and imbedded argon. The main impurities, carbon and oxygen, differed in their behavior when the sample was annealed following bombardment. The amount of surface carbon either increased or remained constant during annealing depending upon the temperature of the sample during bombardment. The amount of surface oxygen decreased rapidly when the sample was heated above 500/sup 0/C regardless of the sample temperature during bombardment. These experiments indicate that preparation of clean, annealed thorium surfaces requires ion bombardment at temperatures > or =400/sup 0/C.

• Research Organization: General Chemistry Division, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, P. O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94550
• OSTI ID: 6807602
• Journal Information: J. Vac. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Vac. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 15:2; ISSN JVSTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
ABSORPTION
ACTINIDES
ARGON IONS
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
CARBON
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CLEANING
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
IMPURITIES
IONS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
SPECTROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
SURFACE CLEANING
SURFACE FINISHING
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THORIUM