Removal Mechanism of Oxide Layer on the Surface of Sn-0.4Ti Alloy for Quartz Glass Sealing

The oxide layer on the surface of Sn-0.4Ti alloy and its removal mechanism were investigated by coalitional analyses, using XPS and TEM technologies. The results show that a compact SnO(1.65) oxide layer of less than 4 nm in thickness exists on the surface of Sn-0.4Ti alloy. A large number of TiO(2) nanoparticles with scale of several to tens of nanometers were grown in Sn-0.4Ti matrix by depleting SnO(1.65) while welding at 800 °C. These nanoparticles were adhered to the interfacial layer between Sn-0.4Ti alloy and quartz glass, which was formed by the reaction of Sn-0.4Ti and SiO(2) after SnO(1.65) removal from the Sn-0.4Ti. This work may promote further works on Sn-Ti design to further improve the welding quality between Sn-Ti alloy and quartz glass, and also provide a feasible research idea to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of solders.