Epitaxial stabilisation of uranium silicide line compounds

Lottie M Harding; Eleanor Lawrence Bright; Jude Laverock; David T Goddard; Ross S Springell

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2023.139690

Epitaxial stabilisation of uranium silicide line compounds

Lottie M Harding^*, Eleanor Lawrence Bright, Jude Laverock, David T Goddard, Ross S Springell

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

Epitaxial single crystal thin films of U3Si, U3Si5, 𝛼 − USi2, and USi3, alongside poly-crystalline U3Si2 have all been synthesised using DC magnetron sputtering. These idealised samples provide the bases on which fundamental studies can be conducted for the understanding of advanced technology fuel (ATF) candidates: U3Si, U3Si2, and U3Si5. The silicon-rich phases, USi2 and USi3 are of interest as intermediate oxidation products, forming as a result of the surface oxidation of the fuel candidates. Films were characterised using x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with XRD results indicating the stabilisation of [001]-oriented surfaces for all epitaxial phases with the exception of hexagonal U3Si5, which was found to be [100]-oriented. The XPS area analysis results from the U-4𝑓 and Si-2𝑠 core levels indicate that all phases are stoichiometric within error

Original language	English
Article number	139690
Number of pages	8
Journal	Thin Solid Films
Volume	768
Early online date	18 Jan 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2023.139690
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This project was funded by a joint EPSRC-NNL ICASE award ( EP/R511857/1 ). The authors acknowledge access to the Bristol NanoESCA Facility under the EPSRC Strategic Equipment Grant: EP/M000605/1 where XPS measurements were made, and access to the University of Bristol NNUF FaRMS Facility ( EP/V035495/1 ) where sample synthesis was conducted. The authors also thank G.H. Lander for helpful discussions.

Funding Information:
This project was funded by a joint EPSRC-NNL ICASE award (EP/R511857/1). The authors acknowledge access to the Bristol NanoESCA Facility under the EPSRC Strategic Equipment Grant: EP/M000605/1 where XPS measurements were made, and access to the University of Bristol NNUF FaRMS Facility (EP/V035495/1) where sample synthesis was conducted. The authors also thank G.H. Lander for helpful discussions.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors

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This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Elsevier at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2023.139690 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Final published version, 1.95 MBLicence: CC BY

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Facility for Radioactive Materials Surfaces
Springell, R. S. (Principal Investigator)
1/10/21 → 30/09/23
Project: Research

Bristol University NanoESCA Laboratory (BrUNEL)
Fox, N. (Manager) & Cattelan, M. (Manager)
School of Chemistry
Facility/equipment: Facility

Cite this

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title = "Epitaxial stabilisation of uranium silicide line compounds",

abstract = "Epitaxial single crystal thin films of U3Si, U3Si5, 훼 − USi2, and USi3, alongside poly-crystalline U3Si2 have all been synthesised using DC magnetron sputtering. These idealised samples provide the bases on which fundamental studies can be conducted for the understanding of advanced technology fuel (ATF) candidates: U3Si, U3Si2, and U3Si5. The silicon-rich phases, USi2 and USi3 are of interest as intermediate oxidation products, forming as a result of the surface oxidation of the fuel candidates. Films were characterised using x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with XRD results indicating the stabilisation of [001]-oriented surfaces for all epitaxial phases with the exception of hexagonal U3Si5, which was found to be [100]-oriented. The XPS area analysis results from the U-4푓 and Si-2푠 core levels indicate that all phases are stoichiometric within error",

author = "Harding, {Lottie M} and {Lawrence Bright}, Eleanor and Jude Laverock and Goddard, {David T} and Springell, {Ross S}",

note = "Funding Information: This project was funded by a joint EPSRC-NNL ICASE award ( EP/R511857/1 ). The authors acknowledge access to the Bristol NanoESCA Facility under the EPSRC Strategic Equipment Grant: EP/M000605/1 where XPS measurements were made, and access to the University of Bristol NNUF FaRMS Facility ( EP/V035495/1 ) where sample synthesis was conducted. The authors also thank G.H. Lander for helpful discussions. Funding Information: This project was funded by a joint EPSRC-NNL ICASE award (EP/R511857/1). The authors acknowledge access to the Bristol NanoESCA Facility under the EPSRC Strategic Equipment Grant: EP/M000605/1 where XPS measurements were made, and access to the University of Bristol NNUF FaRMS Facility (EP/V035495/1) where sample synthesis was conducted. The authors also thank G.H. Lander for helpful discussions. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",

year = "2023",

month = mar,

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doi = "10.1016/j.tsf.2023.139690",

language = "English",

volume = "768",

journal = "Thin Solid Films",

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T1 - Epitaxial stabilisation of uranium silicide line compounds

AU - Harding, Lottie M

AU - Lawrence Bright, Eleanor

AU - Laverock, Jude

AU - Goddard, David T

AU - Springell, Ross S

N1 - Funding Information: This project was funded by a joint EPSRC-NNL ICASE award ( EP/R511857/1 ). The authors acknowledge access to the Bristol NanoESCA Facility under the EPSRC Strategic Equipment Grant: EP/M000605/1 where XPS measurements were made, and access to the University of Bristol NNUF FaRMS Facility ( EP/V035495/1 ) where sample synthesis was conducted. The authors also thank G.H. Lander for helpful discussions. Funding Information: This project was funded by a joint EPSRC-NNL ICASE award (EP/R511857/1). The authors acknowledge access to the Bristol NanoESCA Facility under the EPSRC Strategic Equipment Grant: EP/M000605/1 where XPS measurements were made, and access to the University of Bristol NNUF FaRMS Facility (EP/V035495/1) where sample synthesis was conducted. The authors also thank G.H. Lander for helpful discussions. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023/3/1

Y1 - 2023/3/1

N2 - Epitaxial single crystal thin films of U3Si, U3Si5, 훼 − USi2, and USi3, alongside poly-crystalline U3Si2 have all been synthesised using DC magnetron sputtering. These idealised samples provide the bases on which fundamental studies can be conducted for the understanding of advanced technology fuel (ATF) candidates: U3Si, U3Si2, and U3Si5. The silicon-rich phases, USi2 and USi3 are of interest as intermediate oxidation products, forming as a result of the surface oxidation of the fuel candidates. Films were characterised using x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with XRD results indicating the stabilisation of [001]-oriented surfaces for all epitaxial phases with the exception of hexagonal U3Si5, which was found to be [100]-oriented. The XPS area analysis results from the U-4푓 and Si-2푠 core levels indicate that all phases are stoichiometric within error

AB - Epitaxial single crystal thin films of U3Si, U3Si5, 훼 − USi2, and USi3, alongside poly-crystalline U3Si2 have all been synthesised using DC magnetron sputtering. These idealised samples provide the bases on which fundamental studies can be conducted for the understanding of advanced technology fuel (ATF) candidates: U3Si, U3Si2, and U3Si5. The silicon-rich phases, USi2 and USi3 are of interest as intermediate oxidation products, forming as a result of the surface oxidation of the fuel candidates. Films were characterised using x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with XRD results indicating the stabilisation of [001]-oriented surfaces for all epitaxial phases with the exception of hexagonal U3Si5, which was found to be [100]-oriented. The XPS area analysis results from the U-4푓 and Si-2푠 core levels indicate that all phases are stoichiometric within error

U2 - 10.1016/j.tsf.2023.139690

DO - 10.1016/j.tsf.2023.139690

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

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VL - 768

JO - Thin Solid Films

JF - Thin Solid Films

M1 - 139690

ER -

Epitaxial stabilisation of uranium silicide line compounds

Abstract

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Projects

Facility for Radioactive Materials Surfaces

Equipment

Bristol University NanoESCA Laboratory (BrUNEL)

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