Investigation of Pd-Ti multilayer thin films for hydrogen storage applications

Abstract

This study investigates the hydrogen storage properties of Pd/Ti/Pd/Ti multilayer thin films fabricated using an electron-beam evaporator. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) was used for elemental composition and thickness analysis. The hydrogen profiling was performed using elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA). The structural and morphological characterisations were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results revealed that the Pd layers were pure and free of any contamination, whereas the Ti layers were contaminated with oxygen, up to 63 at.%. Hydrogen absorption peaked at 200°C with a total concentration of 51.3 at.%.∼ 1.9 wt.%., but declined at higher temperatures. XRD confirmed the formation of TiH2 at elevated temperatures, while AFM showed a correlation between surface roughness and the hydrogen absorption