Abstract
Oxidation of niobium at room temperature is not restricted to Nb 2O 5 growth (about 2 nm) alone, as implied by the negligible oxygen diffusion in bulk niobium. Instead, the strain caused by solution of oxygen in niobium and by growth of Nb 2O 5 causes Nb 6O precipitates at niobium defects and serration of the niobium surface by Nb 2O 5-microcrystallites. These precipitates and the Nb 2O 5 crystallites produce compressed and strained niobium regions where in the strained regions further oxygen is injected and thus enhanced inhomogeneous niobium oxidation is promoted. This enhanced oxidation reaching 1 to 10 μm deep in the niobium after 1 h at room temperature has been analysed using angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and using superconducting measurements. These measurements reveal the dependence of enhanced oxidation on the defect concentration of niobium and on the hardness.
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