Abstract
A film of niobium (~ 15 Å thick) deposited under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions on polycrystalline zirconium was studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as it was taken through a series of sequential treatments. The Nb–Zr interface, associated with a Nb 3 d 5/2 peak at 203.4 eV, is indicated to passivate the underlying Zr to oxygen and hydrogen plasma treatments, which in the absence of Nb would yield substantial oxidation. On heating to 500°C, the pure metallic Nb 3 d 5/2 component at 202.2 eV appears, and this change is accompanied by removal of the passivation effect on the substrate.
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