THE OXIDATION OF GD0.95SI0.05 LAYERS

Gd films are important for different applications, but their handling is very difficult because they are extremely reactive, mainly towards oxygen. This reactivity can be decreased by addition of small amount of Si (approximately 5 at%) diffused into Gd layer. Oxidation of the films and the chemical state of the components (Gd, O, Si) characterized by chemical shifts and by Gd/O ratio, were measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and by Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) method. The diminished oxidation in presence of Si can be explained by the enrichment of Si at the grain boundaries and thereby forming a barrier against the oxygen diffusion into the Gd layer such that the oxidation decreased.