Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T07:43:35.215Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of Hydrogen on Surface of Niobium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

V. J. Gadgil  and
E. G. Keim
V. J. Gadgil
Affiliation:
Centre for Materials Research, University of Twente, EL-TN Building, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
E. G. Keim
Affiliation:
Centre for Materials Research, University of Twente, EL-TN Building, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

Niobium single crystals are used as substrate material for constructing superconducting quantum interference device or SQUID. The use of niobium is prompted by the fact that it is a low Tc metallic superconductor. In order to fabricate the device the surface of the crystal has to be polished flat. This is achieved by combination of mechanical polishing and electrochemical polishing. It has been reported that during electrochemical polishing hydrogen can enter the material forming Niobium hydrides. These can result in surface roughening of a magnitude greater than the thickness of the films subsequently deposited. This leads to failure of the films. The problem can be solved by annealing the material at 300° C to remove any hydrogen that might be present. However it is phenomenologically interesting to study the effect of electrochemical hydrogen charging on the surface of Niobium.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 513: Symposium H – Hydrogen in Semiconductors and Metals , 1998 , 49
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Schober, T., Wenzel, H.. Hydrogen in Metals II, Topics in applied physics, Alfeld, G., Volkl, J. eds, Springer Verlag 1978, pp 11–66 Google Scholar
2. Alefeld, G., Phy.Stat. Sol., 32, 67, 1969 Google Scholar
3. Muller, H., Weymann, K., Hydrogen effects on material behaviour, [proc. conf.], wyoming, USA, 1990, pp 298 Google Scholar
4. Albrecht, W. M., Goode, W. D., Mallett, M. W., J. Electrochemical Soc., 105, 219, 1958 Google Scholar
5. Albrecht, W. M., Goode, W. D., Mallett, M. W., J. Electrochemical Soc., 106, 981, 1959 Google Scholar
6. Fast, J. D., Interaction of metals and gases, Vol 1, Philips Technical Library, 1965, pp 183 Google Scholar
7. Peisl, H., Hydrogen in Metals 1, Topics in applied physics, Alfeld, G., Volkl, J. eds, Springer Verlag 1978, pp 59 Google Scholar