Activation of binary Zr–V non-evaporable getters: a soft X-ray photoemission study of carbide formation

Abstract Zr–V alloy getter films were prepared on stainless steel substrates by magnetron sputtering. The thermal activation behavior of these getters was investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy using two photon excitation energies of 600 eV (synchrotron light) and 1253.6 eV (Mg K α laboratory source). During the activation by heating from 120 to 320 °C, the adsorbed carbon was transformed to metal carbides and diffused to the subsurface region.