Surface Processes and Hydrogen Transport through the Stainless Steel Surface Under Atom and Ion Irradiation

The paper presents the results of investigation of the gas exchange processes induced on a stainless steel surface under low energy neutral and ion irradiation. Experiments were performed in the Multifunctional Investigation Complex for Mass-Analysis allowing sample irradiation with neutral atom beam and plasma ions and thermal desorption analysis. The stainless steel surface was irradiated by thermal deuterium atoms generated in (D2+O2) atmosphere and by (D2+O2) plasma ions. Irradiation activated trapping of deuterium in stainless steel, desorption of hydrogen dissolved in stainless steel in the form of HD, H2, HDO, H2O are measured and analyzed. The role of the chromium oxide surface layer in these processes and the processes providing particle diffusion through the surface layer are discussed.