SIMS,EID and flash-filament investigation of O2, H2, (O2 + H2) and H2O interaction with vanadium

Comparative investigations of secondary ion emission, electron induced ion emission and flash filament signals from polycrystalline vanadium surfaces exposed to well-defined O₂, H₂, H₂O and (O₂ + H₂) doses (<500 L) have been carried out. The vanadium target could be heated and bombarded by either electrons (300 eV) or ions (3 keV) under ultra high vacuum conditions (<10^?10 Torr). The investigations were carried out with a computer controlled ultra high vacuum mass spectrometer. The experimental results establish exact reproducible spectra of well defined surface layers. They give detailed insight into the reactions between H₂, O₂ H₂O and vanadium, and some interactions between these species. They further indicate the importance of bulk and surface diffusion as well as the influence of the probing ion and electron bombardment. A clear distinction between bulk oxygen, surface oxides, and adsorbed oxygen for the vanadium-oxygen interaction at room temperature could be established. For the interaction of hydrogen with clean and oxygen covered vanadium surfaces the formation of adsorbed hydrogen, bulk solution of hydrogen, and the formation of OH groups and H₂O could be demonstrated. A detection limit below 10^?5 of one single monolayer for metal bonded hydrogen could be established.