CHARACTERIZATION OF UF5 ULTRAFINE PARTICLES USING TEM, XPS, AND XRD

The ultrafine particles synthesized by a TEA-CO2 laser induced plasma reaction of a UF6 /H-2/Ar gas mixture were characterized by means of t ransmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscop y (XPS), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The product was found t o be UF5 ultrafine particles with an average diameter of 15 nm by XPS and TEM. XRD measurements showed that the 2 theta values of the three peaks observed for the UF5 ultrafine particles were shifted to lower a ngle by 1 degrees than the corresponding peaks of beta-UF5 crystal. Th is suggests that the lattice constants of the ultrafine particles beca me larger by 2 to 5% than those of the crystal.