Effects of thin films on inventory, permeation and re-emission of energetic hydrogen

A non-metallic coating thicker than the implantation depth may protect a metal against tritium retention and permeation. However, a thinner film has quite the opposite effect: a dramatic increase of permeation and retention, and a corresponding suppression of re-emission. In view of the benefits expected from particle control with a superpermeable membrane placed right inside the divertor, the behavior of a Nb sample was investigated in a plasma-membrane device having a graphite target. Even polyatomic carbide coating was found not to hinder hydrogen absorption and permeation. Polyatomic non-carbide C films effectively inhibits it, but the formation of such films depends on H and C fluxes, H energy and metal temperature. A durable isolation of suprathermal hydrogen with the superpermeable membrane was observed at a high enough ratio between H and C fluxes, and the effects of carbon were found to have a non-monotonic temperature dependence.