Magnesium growth in magnesium deuteride thin films during deuterium desorption

Pd- capped nanocrystalline magnesium thin films having columnar structure were deposited on Si substrate by e-gun deposition and submitted to thermal annealing in D2 atmosphere to promote the metal to deuteride phase transformation. The kinetics of the reverse deuteride to metal transformation was studied by Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS) while the structure of the as deposited and transformed samples was analyzed by X-rays diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). In Pd- capped MgD2 thin films the deuteride to metal transformation begins at the interface between un-reacted Mg and transformed MgD2 layers. The D2 desorption kinetics is controlled by MgD2/Mg interface effects, specifically the re-growth velocity of the Mg layers. The Mg re-growth has thermally activated character and shows an activation energy value of 1.3 ± 0.1 eV.

► Highly oriented Pd-capped magnesium deuteride thin films. ► The MgD2 dissociation was studied at temperatures not exceeding 100 °C. ► The structure of the film samples was analyzed by XRD and TEM. ► The transformation is controlled by the re-growth velocity of the Mg layers. ► The transformation is thermally activated, activation energy value of 1.3 ± 0.1 eV.