Hydrogen ratios and profiles in deposited amorphous and polycrystalline films and in metals using nuclear techniques

Abstract Plasma- and chemical vapor deposited films containing hydrogen, Si, B and O, but of unknown thickness and stoichiometry have been assigned concentration ratios through a combination of H-profiling using the 1 H( 15 N, αγ) 12 C(4.43 MeV) reaction and RBS analysis. Relatively intense 15 N ++ beams exceeding the 6.38 MeV resonance energy have been obtained from a 3.75 MeV accelerator with a commercial ion source and terminal analysis. A discussion is given of the method of obtaining film concentration ratios in some representative cases. A search was made for H at the SiO 2 Si interface. Some preliminary investigations have been made on the H concentration in several metals as supplied: Nb, V, Ta, Al, Ni, OFHC Cu, Ti, Mo and steel and on the effect of acid dips in loading H. Hydrogen in acid-loaded steel migrated under the influence of the probing 15 N beam, but relaxed back when the beam was removed.