Formation of local thorium silicate compound by electrochemical deposition from an acetone solution of thorium nitrate

Abstract

The results of the study of local formation (diameter of deposited area is about 100 μm) of thorium oxide coatings on SiO2/Si(001) surface by electrochemical deposition are presented. It was found that the electrochemical deposition of thorium atoms from an acetone solution of Th(NO3)4 on silicon surface lead to the formation of thorium-based films. The results of surface analysis by local X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray photoemission indicate that these films contain of thorium-, silicon-, oxygen- and carbon-based compounds. After 30 h of annealing at 1350 °C in atmosphere carbon pulled completely, and the compound transforms into thorium silicate films ThSiO4 (Huttonite). Our primary study of ThSiO4 compound by reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy showed that this system have energy gap ~7.7 eV and can be useful for further research of «nuclear clocks» as well as for «nuclear battery».