Low energy electron diffraction and electron spectroscopy studies of the clean (110) and (100) titanium dioxide (rutile) crystal surfaces

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron energy loss (ELS) and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopies (UPS) were used to study the structures, compositions and electron state distributions of clean single crystal faces of titanium dioxide (rutile). LEED showed that both the (110) and (100) surfaces are stable, the latter giving rise to three distinct surface structures, viz. (1 × 3), (1 × 5) and (1 × 7) that were obtained by annealing an argon ion-bombarded (100) surface at ~600,800 and 1200° C respectively. AES showed the decrease of the $\text{O(510 eV)}\text{Ti(380 eV)}$ peak ratio from ~1.7 to ~1.3 in going from the (1 × 3) to the (1 × 7) surface structure. Electron energy loss spectra obtained from the (110) and (100)?(1 × 3) surfaces are similar, with surface-sensitive transitions at 8.2, 5.2 and 2.4 eV. The energy loss spectrum from an argon or oxygen ion bombarded surface is dominated by the transition at 1.6 eV. UPS indicated that the initial state for this ELS transition is peaked at ?0.6 eV (referred to the Fermi level E_F in the photoemission spectrum, and that the 2.4 eV surface-sensitive ELS transition probably arises from the band of occupied states between the bulk valence band maximum to the Fermi level. High energy electron beams (1.6 keV 20 μA) used in AES were found to disorder clean and initially well-ordered TiO₂ surfaces. Argon ion bombardment of clean ordered TiO₂ (110) and (100)?(1 × 3) surfaces caused the work function and surface band bending to decrease by almost 1 eV and such decrease is explained as due to the loss of oxygen from the surface.     

Electron energy loss and Auger study of epitaxially grown Cu on Ni(100)

Auger and electron energy loss spectra have been measured on films of Cu epitaxially grown on Ni(100). The films were prepared under UHV conditions using a quartz crystal for monitoring the deposition rate. LEED measurements were taken to determine the orientation of the films. The presence of a monolayer of Cu on Ni(100) is enough to suppress the 3p-3d transition on the surface of the sample. The electron energy loss spectra were studied as a function of the primary electron energy (50 to 300 eV). The experimental results were qualitatively analyzed using recent theoretical calculations of Cooper and co-workers. The effect of a small Cu coverage on Ni(100) on the chemisorption of CO and O₂ was also studied. A strong suppression of CO chemisorption at room temperature was observed. In the case of O₂, large exposures are necessary in order to observe a significant amount of oxygen on the surface. The absence of any appreciable chemisorption on the surface of the metal is attributed to the lack of empty d-surface states.     

Ionic implantation of N2+ in Ni(110) at 300 K

The present work gives results of a preliminary investigation, carried out by SES, AES, LEED and ELS, on the implantation of nitrogen ions in Ni(110) as a function of ion dose and subsequent surface heat treatment at different temperatures. The fine structure in the SES spectrum is the most sensitive to implantation: peaks at 9, 17.5 and 31.5 eV are shifted towards lower energies by E = 1 eV for the first two peaks and 2.8 eV for the last. At high nitrogen doses a disordered layer is observed by LEED. The p(2 × 3) structure is obtained when the crystal is heated to 750 K. The two electron loss peaks of 4.8 and 10 eV arise from an induced electron N_2p level situated 4.8 eV below the Fermi level.     

The adsorption of CO on Cu surfaces studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS) in the energy range of electronic transitions (primary energy 30 < E₀ < 50 eV, resolution ΔE ≈ 0.3 eV) has been used to study the adsorption of CO on polycrystalline surfaces and on the low index faces (100), (110), (111) of Cu at 80 K. Also LEED patterns were investigated and thermal desorption was analyzed by means of the temperature dependence of three losses near 9, 12 and 14 eV characteristic for adsorbed CO. The 12 and 14 eV losses occur on all Cu surfaces in the whole coverage range; they are interpreted in terms of intramolecular transitions of the CO. The 9 eV loss is sensitive to the crystallographic type of Cu surface and to the coverage with CO. The interpretation in terms of d(Cu) → 2π¹(CO) charge transfer transitions allows conclusions concerning the adsorption site geometry. The ELS results are consistent with information obtained from LEED. On the (100) surface CO adsorption enhances the intensity of a bulk electronic transition near 4 eV at E₀ < 50 eV. This effect is interpreted within the framework of dielectric theory for surface scattering on the basis of the Cu electron energy band scheme.     

Adsorption of CO on a pseudomorphic palladium monolayer on Mo(110)

Adsorption of CO on a Pd monolayer (ML) supported on Mo(110) has been studied using low energy electron diffraction (LEED), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). Three ordered CO substructures denoted as are observed with LEED. The binding energy of C0 on the 1.0 ML Pd/Mo(110) surface is reduced by 12 kcal/mol relative to the Pd(111) surface, consistent with previous results for supported palladium monolayers on other substrates. Two vibrational states of C0 are observed near 1950 and 2050 cm⁻¹, with the feature at the lower wavenumber having the smaller binding energy.     

High temperature coadsorption study of zirconium and oxygen on the W(100) crystal face

The coadsorption of zirconium and oxygen on W(100) has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, mass spectroscopy, ion sputtering, and work function measurement techniques. Adsorption of zirconium onto W(100) followed by heating in an oxygen partial pressure produces rapid diffusion of a ZrO complex into the bulk and the formation of a tungsten oxide layer. Heating in vacuum causes desorption of the tungsten oxide and segregation of the ZrO complex to the surface. The activation energy for the ZrO bulk-to-surface diffusion is 30 ± 2 kcal/mole. Upon heating in vacuum at 2000 K the composite surface exhibits predominantly a (1 × 1) LEED structure with a room temperature field emission retarding potential work function of 2.67 ± 0.05 eV. The Richardson work function for this unusually thermally stable surface is 2.56 ± 0.05 eV with a pre-exponential of 6 ± 2. The effects of carbon and nitrogen contamination on this low work function ZrOW composite surface are discussed and a structural model for the surface is presented.     

The adsorption of Xe and CO on a Cu (311) single crystal surface

LEED, electron energy loss spectroscopy and surface potential measurements have been used to study the adsorption of Xe and CO on Cu (311). Xe is adsorbed with a heat of 19 ± 2 kJ mol^/t-1. The complete monolayer has a surface potential of 0.58 V and a hexagonal close-packed structure with an interatomic distance of 4.45 ± 0.05 Å. CO gives a positive surface potential increasing with coverage to a maximum of 0.34 V and then falling to 0.22 V at saturation. The heat of adsorption is initially 61 ± 2 kJ mol^?1, falling as the surface potential maximum is approached to about 45 kJ mol^?1. At this coverage streaks appear in the LEED pattern corresponding to an overlayer which is one-dimensionally ordered in the [011&#x0304;] direction. Additional CO adsorption causes the heat of adsorption to decrease further and the overlayer structure to be compressed in the [011&#x0304;] direction. At saturation the LEED pattern shows extra spots which are tentatively attributed to domains of a new overlayer structure coexisting with the first. Electron energy loss spectra (EELS) of adsorbed CO show two characteristic peaks at 4.5 and 13.5 eV probably arising from transitions between the electronic levels of chemisorbed CO.     

Charge trapping in NiO surfaces during LEED observations

Time dependent LEED intensities have been observed for a NiO(100)-Cl surface. Measurements of this effect as a function of temperature, beam current and beam energy are reported. Associated observations of the current to ground and the electron loss spectrum are used to suggest that electron trapping is occurring in the crystal surface due to the adsorbed Cl. Excitation from these trapped states could result in decaying LEED beam intensities.     

Adsorption of oxygen on Au(111) by exposure to ozone

Atomic oxygen coverages of up to 1.2 ML may be cleanly adsorbed on the Au(111) surface by exposure to O₃ at 300 K. We have studied the adsorbed oxygen layer by AES, XPS, HREELS, LEED, work function measurements and TPD. A plot of the O(519 eV)/Au(239 eV) AES ratio versus coverage is nearly linear, but a small change in slope occurs at Θ_O=0.9 ML. LEED observations show no ordered superlattice for the oxygen overlayer for any coverage studied. One-dimensional ordering of the adlayer occurs at low coverages, and disordering of the substrate occurs at higher coverages. Adsorption of 1.0 ML of oxygen on Au(111) increases the work function by +0.80 eV, indicating electron transfer from the Au substrate into an oxygen adlayer. The O(1s) peak in XPS has a binding energy of 530.1 eV, showing only a small (0.3 eV) shift to a higher binding energy with increasing oxygen coverage. No shift was detected for the Au 4f_7/2 peak due to adsorption. All oxygen is removed by thermal desorption of O₂ to leave a clean Au(111) surface after heating to 600 K. TPD spectra initially show an O₂ desorption peak at 520 K at low Θ_O, and the peak shifts to higher temperatures for increasing oxygen coverages up to Θ_O=0.22 ML. Above this coverage, the peak shifts very slightly to higher temperatures, resulting in a peak at 550 K at Θ_O=1.2 ML. Analysis of the TPD data indicates that the desorption of O₂ from Au(111) can be described by first-order kinetics with an activation energy for O₂ desorption of 30 kcal mol⁻¹ near saturation coverage. We estimate a value for the Au–O bond dissociation energy D(Au–O) to be 56 kcal mol⁻¹.     

The growth mode of aluminium on silver (111)

The geometric and electronic structures occuring during the growth of Al on a single crystal Ag(111) surface have been studied using a combination of low energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), energy loss spectroscopy (ELS) and work function measurements. The Auger signal versus deposition time plots, which were used to monitor the growth mode, are shown to behave in an identical fashion to that expected for layer-by-layer (Frank-van der Merwe) growth. LEED was used to determine the lateral periodicity of thin Al films and shows that Al forms, at very small coverages, 2D islands which have the same structure as the Ag(111) substrate and which grow together to form the first monolayer. At substrate temperatures of 150 K a well defined (1 × 1) structure with the same orientation as the underlying Ag(111) can be seen up to at least 12 ML. After completion of the third monolayer the ELS spectrum approached that observed for bulk aluminium. At a coverage of 3 ML the work function decreases by 0.4 eV from the clean silver value.     

The chemisorption of sulphur on W(100)

The interaction of sulphur vapour with a W(100) surface is studied in detail with Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), LEED, work function difference (Δ?) measurements and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). The dissociative adsorption of S occurs on the W surface without reconstruction. Several LEED structures are observed which indicate repulsive adatom interactions. TDS shows that the desorption energy of atomic S decreases from about 8 eV at θ = 0.1 ML to about 3 eV near saturation in close vicinity of 1 ML. Above $\text{θ =}\text{3}\text{4}$ ML, S₂ desorbs in addition to S in a high temperature peak which saturates at about 1 ML. Sulphur in excess of about 1 ML is desorbed in two low temperature peaks of which the lower one consists not only of S and S₂ but also of S₃ and S₄.     

Coadsorption of cesium and oxygen on Ni(100): I. Cesium probing of NiO bonding

Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and work function measurements have been used to study the interaction of Cs and O on (100) surfaces of Ni. Deposition of Cs on oxygen-chemisorbed Ni(100) changed the structure of the O array. The work function of this surface showed a minimum at 0.14 monolayer of Cs coverage and a maximum at 0.29 monolayer. On the other hand, Cs on oxidized Ni(100) could not change the oxygen arrangement at all, and the work function remained constant after reaching a minimum value. These two types of behavior of Cs can be used to probe the bonding states of O on metal surfaces. Our results suggest that the c(2×2) structure of O on Ni(100) is simple chemisorption rather than reconstruction and that the c(2×2) coexists with regions of disordered NiO on Ni(100). While LEED intensity variations detect primarily the chemisorbed c(2×2), other measurements like work function, ion neutralization and sticking coefficient should detect both kinds of NiO bonding.     

Oxygen adsorption on the LaB6(100), (110) and (111) surfaces

Oxygen adsorption on the LaB₆(100), (110) and (111) clean surfaces has been studied by means of UPS, XPS and LEED. The results on oxygen adsorption will be discussed on the basis of the structurs and the electronic states on the LaB₆(100), (110) and (111) clean surfaces. The surface states on LaB₆(110) disappear at the oxygen exposure of 0.4 L where a c(2 × 2) LEED pattern disappears and a (1 × 1) LEED pattern appears. The work function on LaB₆(110) is increased to ～3.8 eV by an oxygen exposure of ～2 L. The surface states on LaB₆(111) disappear at an oxygen exposure of ～2 L where the work function has a maximum value of ～4.4 eV. Oxygen is adsorbed on the surface boron atoms of LaB₆(111) until an exposure of ～2 L. Above this exposure, oxygen is adsorbed on another site to lower the work function from ～4.4 to ～3.8 eV until an oxygen exposure of ～100L. The initial sticking coefficient on LaB₆(110) has the highest value of ～1 among the (100), (110) and (111) surfaces. The (100) surface is most stable to oxygen among these surfaces. It is suggested that the dangling bonds of boron atoms play an important role in oxygen adsorption on the LaB₆ surfaces.     

Electronic properties of cleaved Si(111) upon room-temperature deposition of Au

Low energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and photoemission yield spectroscopy (PYS) measurements are performed on a set of 2 × 1 reconstructed silicon (111) surfaces with different bulk dopings as a function of gold coverage θ, from zero to a few hundred monolayers, obtained by UHV evaporation on a sample kept at room temperature. Our measurements show the formation of an Au-Si alloy with the first two monolayers of gold deposit which induces a decrease of the ionization energy Φ by about 0.15 eV while no variation of the work function is observed. In the effective density of states, the double structure related to the 2 × 1 reconstruction is then replaced by a single peak at ? 0.4 eV below the valence band edge. At larger coverages, the Au-Si alloy remains on top of a gold layer which forms an abrupt interface with the Si substrate.     

ELS study on initial oxidation of Ni(100) surfaces

Electron energy loss spectra of clean and oxygen-covered Ni(100) surfaces were observed with concomitant measurements of LEED, work function change, and Auger peak height ratio O(KL_{2, 3}L_{2, 3})/Ni(L_{2, 3}VV). The observed electronic transitions are interpreted on the basis of primary election energy dependence, and of comparison with the loss spectrum for a UHV-cleaved NiO(100) surface and optical data of Ni. The observed loss peaks at 9.1, 14, and 19 eV in the clean surface spectrum are ascribed to the bulk plasmon of the 4s electrons, the surface plasmon, and the bulk plasmon of the coupled 3d + 4s electrons, respectively, and the weak but sharp peak at 33 eV is tentatively attributed to the localized many-body effect in the final state. Three oxygen-derived peaks at 6.0, 8.0, and 10.3 eV in the low oxygen exposure region (?4 L) are ascribed to the O 2p(e) → Ni 3d, O 2p(a₁) → Ni 3d, and O 2p → Ni 4s transitions, respectively. In the high oxygen exposure region (?50 L), the spectra become quite similar to that of the UHV-cleaved NiO(100) surface. The oxidation process consistent with LEED, Auger peak height ratio and work function change measurements is discussed.     

The chemisorption of nitrogen on the (001) surface of ruthenium

High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), thermal desorption mass spectrometry (TDMS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) have been used to investigate the molecular chemisorption of N₂ on Ru(001) at 75 K and 95 K. Adsorption at 95 K produces a single chemisorbed state, and, at saturation, a (√3x√3) R30° LEED pattern is observed. Adsorption at 75 K produces an additional chemisorbed state of lower binding energy, and the probability of adsorption increases by a factor of two from its zero coverage value when the second chemisorbed state begins to populate. EEL spectra recorded for all coverages at 75 K show only two dipolar modes — ν(RuN₂) at 280–300 cm^?1 and ν(NN) at 2200–2250 cm^?1 — indicating adsorption at on-top sites with the axis of the molecular standing perpendicular to the surface. The intensities of these loss features increase and ν(NN) decreases with increasing surface coverage of both chemisorbed states.     

Structural and electronic model of negative electron affinity on the Si/Cs/O surface

Structural and electronic models are proposed which correlate Goldstein's LEED, Auger, photo-emission, plasmon, and desorption data for negative electron affinity (NEA) on Si(100) surfaces. In the structural model, the surface Si atoms group into adjacent rows of surface “pedestals” and surface “caves”. Their density is 3.4 × 10¹⁴ cm^?2 each, as inferred from the LEED 2 × 2 reconstruction pattern and other data. Adsorbed Cs resides in fourfold coordination with Si atop the pedestals. Adsorbed oxygen is completely submerged in the caves of aperture 2.98Å to give a Cs-O dipole length of 2.9Å. Similar structural arguments show why Cs must be adsorbed before O₂, and why Si(111) does not exhibit NEA. In the electronic model, the surface dielectric constant, 5.3. obtained from the surface plasmon energy, 7 eV, is used to compute the dipole length from the final work function, 0.9 eV. It is 2.8Å in excellent agreement with the dipole length computed from the above structural model. Some properties of the “induced” surface states in the presence of Cs and O are also described.     

GaAs (100)-(1X1) Structure Analysis from LEED Intensities

GaAs (100)-(1X1) surface grown by molecular-beam epitaxy was studied by low energy electron diffraction (LEED). Intensities of diffraction spots were measured in the energy range of (40-300) eV and analysed using dynamical tensor LEED package. Relaxation of surface layers decreased the Pendry's R-factor to 0.48. Analysis of the LEED intensity-voltage curves for the normal electron incidence shows that the investigated surface structure is more complicated than a simply relaxed ideal surface.     

Adsorption of carbon monoxide on tungsten (210)

Thermal desorption spectra taken after adsorption of carbon monoxide at room temperature on W(210) show sequential formation with increasing coverage of strongly bound β₂ and β₁ binding states, correlated to the sequential formation of P(2 × 1) and (1 × 1) adsorbate structures as observed by LEED. Adsorption at room temperature gives a poorly ordered arrangement of adsorbed CO molecules, but well-ordered structures are produced by subsequent anneal. For adsorption without anneal the work function increases monotonically with coverage to a maximum of Δφ = + 0.70 eV at saturation coverage of 1 monolayer. For adsorption followed by anneal the work function dependence upon coverage is less simple, with even a decrease of work function at coverages less than a quarter monolayer. LEED intensity-voltage measurements from P(2 × 1)CO and P(2 × 1)N structures suggest that CO molecules occupy the sites of 4-fold symmetry upon which nitrogen is believed to be adsorbed. The distinction between the β₂ and β₁ states of adsorbed CO is attributed to heterogeneity induced by the reduction in binding energy of a CO molecule when its nearest-neighbor sites are occupied.     

Calculated beam intensities for low energy positron diffraction

The intensity of the specular beam for low energy positron diffraction (LEPD) from the Cu(111) surface is calculated in the energy range 20–150 eV. Close agreement is found with the first experimental data for LEPD published recently. This result indicates that LEPD may be exploited as a technique for determining surface structures in the near future. It is suggested that LEPD may have advantages in surface structure analysis in comparison with low energy electron diffraction (LEED).