Paper AS+BI+CA+LS-TuA12
Characterizing the Thickness and Physical Properties of Nearly Ideal Zirconium Oxide Surfaces Using Ellipsometry, ESCA, Profilometry and FIB

Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 6:00 pm, Room A211

Zirconium alloys are used in nuclear reactor cores due to their small neutron scattering cross-section and corrosion resistance. Corrosion of zirconium alloys results in the formation of a protective oxide layer that the corrosion species must travel through in order to continue the corrosion process. This oxide prevents further oxidation of the metal, slowing down the reaction rate. Characterizing this important oxide film on a metal is difficult. A number of analytical techniques are used to better understand the properties and growth of this oxide film. To insure that reliable information is reported, the thickness and physical properties of zirconium oxide deposited on a single-crystal silicon wafer by magnetron sputtering has been investigated. Data obtained from Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA), profilometry, ellipsometry and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) experiments are all self-consistent with each other. This validates the utility of these measurements for the characterization of the oxide observed on metallic surfaces.