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An AES study of the oxidation of polycrystalline zirconium at room temperature and low oxygen pressures
Author(s) -
Sanz J. M.,
Palacio C.,
Casas Y.,
MartinezDuart J. M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.740100402
Subject(s) - auger electron spectroscopy , chemisorption , oxygen , zirconium , crystallite , oxide , torr , analytical chemistry (journal) , metal , chemistry , dissociation (chemistry) , materials science , inorganic chemistry , adsorption , metallurgy , organic chemistry , physics , chromatography , nuclear physics , thermodynamics
Auger electron spectroscopy has been used to characterize the oxidation of polycrystalline zirconium in an oxygen atmosphere at low pressures (10 −8 ≤ P o 2≤ 10 −5 Torr) and room temperature after cleaning the surface by Ar + ‐ion bombardment. Quantitative analysis of the oxidation process was performed by using the intensity of the Zr(M 45 N 23 N 45 ) line which is characteristic of the metallic zirconium. It is concluded from this work that oxidation proceeds as follows: (i) dissociative chemisorption for oxygen exposures lower than 2 L; (ii) formation of nuclei of oxide which grow until coalescence for exposures between 2 and 60 L; (iii) thickening of the oxide film grown in the previous stage. A limiting thickness of 1.5–2 nm is estimated.