Tritiation of amorphous and crystalline silicon using T 2 gas

Abstract

Incorporation of tritium in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and crystalline silicon (c-Si) at 250 °C using tritium (T 2) gas at pressures of up to 120 atm is reported. The tritium is stored in a surface layer which is approximately 150 and 10 nm for a-Si:H and c-Si, respectively. The concentration of tritium occluded in planar and textured c-Si is linearly dependent on the total surface area. The tritium is stable and the dominant tritium evolution occurs at temperatures above 300 °C. The concentration of tritium locked in a-Si:H and c-Si was 20 and 4 at. %, respectively. Self-catalysis appears to be important in the tritiation process. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.