Effect of composition and microstructure of Pd-Cu-Si metallic glassy alloy thin films on hydrogen absorbing properties

Abstract

Thin films of Pd-Cu-Si metallic glassy alloys for a hydrogen sensor were fabricated by a sputtering method. In order to find out the effect of the composition and the microstructure of them on the hydrogen absorbing property (the H2 response), the structural parameters based on the short-range order (SRO) were measured. Additionally, the change of the structural parameters with hydrogen absorption was measured, and the correlations of the change with the H2 response and the hydrogen induced linear expansion coefficient (LEC) were examined. The H2 response decreased with increases in Si content and the structural parameters. These results can be explained by the positive effects of Si content and the structural parameters on the formation of a trigonal prism which is a structural unit of Pd-based amorphous alloys, and by the negative effect of the trigonal prism on absorbing hydrogen. From the observation of the elongation of the Pd-Pd atomic distance with absorbing hydrogen, H atoms are supposed to occupy the space between Pd atoms. The amount of the change in the Pd-Pd atomic distance showed the positive correlations with the H2 response and the LEC. © 2011 The Japan Institute of Metals.