Synthesis of Ti-Zr-V Non-Evaporable Getter Thin Films Grown on Al Alloy and CuCrZr Alloy

Abstract

The Ti-Zr-V non-evaporable getter (NEG) films were grown on Aluminum (Al) alloy and CuCrZr alloy, which can be used to fabricate the vacuum chambers in the ultra-high vacuum status. The Al alloy and CuCrZr alloy samples with different surface roughness were prepared by the different manufacturing methods. We studied whether the behavior and the microstructure of the Ti-Zr-V getter films are influence by the surface roughness of the substrate. The surface morphologies of Ti-Zr-V NEG films appear distinct and the growth of the films follows the nature of the substrate surface. The Ti-Zr-V films have nanocrystalline structures and the grain sizes of the films become slightly larger with increasing the surface smoothness. In addition, it was found that the reduction of the Ti-Zr-V NEG films to the metallic state was affected by presence of surface defects on the films. The surface defects should result from the existence of micro-pores, pockmarks, and micro-cracks on the original substrate, which produced from the manufacturing process.