XPS and He II photoelectron yield study of the activation process in Ti–Zr NEG films

Abstract We present experimental results describing the activation process of Ti–Zr films, one promising member from a family of non-evaporable getters (NEG), grown ex situ by sputter-deposition. An activation process of the Ti–Zr thin films was studied by X-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and by measurements of ultraviolet induced photoelectron yield. The former method provides valuable information about a composition and chemical bonding among atoms found in a surface region (4–6 nm) of a given sample and their changes during the activation process. The latter method provides information about a total photoelectron current induced by monochromatized He II irradiation (40.2 eV), useful for a proposed particle accelerator.