Vacancy-Rich Palladium Hydride Synthesis Using Tandem Electrochemical Loading and DC Plasma Metal Sputtering

Metal hydrides with lattice vacancies, such as palladium hydride, can exhibit superconductivity with a high transition temperature. The study of these metal hydrides, however, has been limited as their synthesis requires experimentally inaccessible high pressure and temperature conditions. Vacancy formation in metal hydrides can be promoted by two methods: high hydrogen contents within the metal hydride, and sputter-depositing metal in a hydrogen rich atmosphere.<br/>Here, I report the development of a bespoke platform for rapid fabrication of vacancy-rich metal hydrides leveraging metal sputtering and high hydrogen concentration. A pulsed DC argon plasma will sputter deposit metal onto a hydrogen-permeable Pd target that is simultaneously electrochemically-loaded with hydrogen from the opposite face by water electrolysis. This provides a hydrogen-rich atmosphere during sputter deposition and promotes high hydrogen loading.