Growth and characterization of uranium oxide thin films deposited by polymer assisted deposition

•Polymer assisted deposition produces epitaxial α-U3O8 thin film on LSAT substrate.•The thin film stoichiometry determined with diffraction and reflectometry.•Neutron and x-ray reflectometry provide uranium oxide compositional depth profile. A thin film of uranium oxide was deposited by polymer assi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Thin solid films 2021-10, Vol.735, p.138874, Article 138874
Main Authors: Kruk, Izabela, Scott, Brian L., Watkins, Erik B., Wolfsberg, Laura E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
MATERIALS SCIENCE
Neutron reflectometry
Polymer assisted deposition
Thin film
Triuranium octoxide
Uranium oxide
X-ray Diffraction
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Summary:•Polymer assisted deposition produces epitaxial α-U3O8 thin film on LSAT substrate.•The thin film stoichiometry determined with diffraction and reflectometry.•Neutron and x-ray reflectometry provide uranium oxide compositional depth profile. A thin film of uranium oxide was deposited by polymer assisted deposition on a single crystal lanthanum aluminate - strontium aluminum tantalate substrate. The deposition resulted in formation of epitaxial thin film of uranium oxide, which could be attributed to α-U3O8 or α-UO3. X-ray diffraction revealed preferential orientation along (100) in case of α-U3O8 or (001) for α-UO3 for the thin film. A combination of x-ray and neutron reflectometry proved the sample to be α-U3O8. The film was of 17 nm thickness covered by a capping layer. The less dense capping layer could be a manifestation of surface water adsorbed on the sample.
ISSN:0040-6090
1879-2731
DOI:10.1016/j.tsf.2021.138874