JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA
The thermal diffusion of nitrogen into the surface of niobium has been shown to yield superior low-loss SRF performance. An effective solution was identified and promptly employed in the production of cryomodules for LCLS-II. With added experience and R&D, a modified process was chosen for use in the upgrade for LCLS-II-HE. Largely motivated by this circumstance, supporting research has significantly refined the technique for making calibrated secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements of the N concentration depth profiles produced by production processes. Standardized reference samples were included with four HE production cavities in their N-doping furnace runs. We report the calibrated dynamic SIMS depth profiles of N, C, and O for these samples, together with the cryogenic acceptance test performance of the associated cavities. Interpretation and comparison with similar samples acquired in other furnaces highlights the importance of intentional process quality control of furnace conditions.
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA
Surface quality is paramount in facilitating high perfor-mance SRF cavity operation. Here, we investigate the topographic evolution of samples subjected to N-doping and 600 °C vacuum anneal. We show that in N-doped Nb, niobium nitrides may grow continuously along grain boundaries. Upon electropolishing high slope angle grooves are revealed which sets up a condition that may facilitate a supression of the superheating field.