Study on Process Parameters of Magnetron Sputtering Titanium Coating in Deep Porous Structures.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nuclear Engineering
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Betavoltaic batteries utilize tritium decay for power generation.
• Improving energy conversion efficiency and power density is crucial for tritium-powered betavoltaic devices.
• Titanium is explored as a tritium absorption material for enhanced battery performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize titanium coating parameters on deep porous semiconductors for betavoltaic applications.
• To investigate the effects of sputtering parameters on titanium film properties within a 3D porous structure.
• To enhance tritium absorption capabilities in betavoltaic devices.

Main Methods:

• Magnetron sputtering was employed to deposit titanium films.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterized titanium film properties.
• Energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) line and surface scans analyzed coating uniformity and titanium content.
• Optimization of argon pressure and sputtering power was performed.

Main Results:

• Optimized sputtering parameters identified as 0.5 Pa argon pressure and 80 W sputtering power.
• Titanium film properties were significantly influenced by argon pressure and sputtering power.
• Varying background vacuum and coating angle affected titanium content within the porous channels.
• Over 50% of the channel structure was coated with titanium under tested conditions.

Conclusions:

• Magnetron sputtering enables effective titanium coating on deep porous semiconductors.
• Optimized parameters ensure substantial titanium coverage for improved tritium absorption.
• This method holds promise for enhancing the performance of tritium-powered betavoltaic batteries.