Preparation of palladium–silver alloy films by a dual-sputtering technique and its application in hydrogen separation membrane

Submicron thick palladium–silver alloy films with 23 wt.% of silver (Pd–Ag23) have been synthesized by simultaneous sputtering from pure targets of Pd and Ag. Full characterization of the deposited films was performed by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The analytical results revealed that the deposited Pd–Ag alloy had a Ag content of about 21–22 wt.%, very close to and within measurement error of the expected Ag content of 23 wt.%. The as-deposited Pd–Ag alloy had a fine microstructure. The characterized Pd–Ag alloy films were then deposited on a supporting microsieve to form Pd–Ag membranes for hydrogen separation. The submicron thick Pd–Ag membranes obtained high separation fluxes up to 4 mol H2/m2 s with a selectivity higher than 1500 for hydrogen over helium