The Depth-dependent composition of the natural oxide layer of VCrTi studied using synchrotron X-ray angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

Harries, J.; Teraoka, Yuden; Tode, Mayumi*; Yoshigoe, Akitaka 

Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is an established technique for obtaining information on the depth-dependence of the concentration of elements within a sample. When synchrotron radiation is used as the X-ray source, the high flux and high energy resolution allow chemical-state specific information to be obtained - an area where the technique has advantages over more quantitative techniques with higher depth resolution. Here we describe the application of the technique at the surface chemistry endstation at BL-23SU, SPring-8, where thin films created using a supsersonic molecular beam with variable kinetic energy can be analysed in situ. The technique is applied to studying the natural oxide surface layer of VCrTi, a hydrogen-storage material.