Abstract
Passive films formed on chromium surface in citrate buffer solution were investigated by means of three-parameter ellipsometry. The citrate buffer was found to be a suitable medium in which oxide film on chromium could be removed by cathodic treatment, providing a reference surface for the optical study. The passive film effectively protecting the chromium surface from corrosion was found to have thicknesses in the range 0.65 to 1.25 nm depending on the potential in the range of -0.20 to 0.60 V (0.1M KCl calomel electrode). The complex refractive index of the passive film did not show significant potential-dependent changes, indicating that the composition of the film material does not depend on potential.