Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-175).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-175) Also available in print.

Thin metallic films are particularly interesting as potential hydrogen storage materials as well as hydrogen sensitive optical sensors. Thin films with various microstructure from nanocrystalline to epitaxial can be relatively easily prepared by varying the deposition parameters. Deposition of multi-layers enables preparation of thin films with arbitrary composition. Defects structure plays a key role in hydrogen absorption. Hydrogen atoms segregated at open volume defects reduce their formation energy leading to enhan- ced concentration of hydrogen-induced defects in the material. Moreover hydrogen diffusion along dislocations and grain boundaries facilitates hydrogen absorption in the metal lattice. Thin films clamped to the stiff substrate undergo anisotropic volume expansion during the hydrogen loading. As a consequence high stresses are induced in the film and can result in detachment of the film from the substrate. In this work hydrogen absorption in Gd and Pd films and Pd-Mg multi-layers was studied. Development of the defect structure of hydrogen-loaded films was investigated by means of variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy com- bined with X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and optical transmittance measurement. Complementary studies of interaction of hydrogen with defects in...