Epitaxial UN and α-U₂N₃ thin films

Single crystal epitaxial thin films of UN and α-U₂N₃ have been grown for the first time by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. These films provide ideal samples for fundamental research into the potential accident tolerant fuel, UN, and U₂N₃, its intermediate oxidation product. Films were characterised using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with XRD analysis showing both thin films to be [001] oriented and composed of a single domain. The specular lattice parameters of the UN and U₂N₃ films were found to be 4.895 Å and 10.72 Å respectively, with the UN film having a miscut of 2.6^°. XPS showed significant differences in the N-1 s peak between the two films, with area analysis showing both films to be stoichiometric.