Hydrogen microscopy – Distribution of hydrogen in buckled niobium hydrogen thin films

Hydrogen absorption in thin metal films clamped to rigid substrates results in mechanical stress that changes the hydrogen's chemical potential by ΔμH(σ) = −1.124σ kJ/molH for σ measured in [GPa]. In this paper we show that local stress relaxation by the detachment of niobium hydrogen thin films from the substrate affects the chemical potential on the local scale: using coincident proton–proton scattering at a proton microprobe, the hydrogen concentration is determined with μm resolution, revealing that hydrogen is not homogenously distributed in the film. The local hydrogen solubility of the film changes with its local stress state, mapping the buckled film fraction. In niobium hydrogen thin films loaded up to nominal concentrations in the two-phase coexistence region, the clamped film fraction remains in the solid solution phase, while the buckles represent the hydride phase. These results are compared to a simple model taking the stress impact on the chemical potential into account. •Stress evolving during hydrogen absorption changes the hydrogen's chemical potential.•Stress can be released locally by film buckling.•We investigate how local stress release changes the local hydrogen solubility.•Hydrogen is enriched in buckles and degraded in clamped film fractions.•H-concentrations in buckles and clamped films represent the phase boundaries.