Electron energy loss spectra from polycrystalline Cr and Cr2O3 before and after surface reduction by Ar bombardment

Electron energy loss spectra (ELS) have been obtained from polycrystalline Cr and Cr₂O₃ before and after surface reduction by 2 keV Ar⁺ bombardment. The primary electron energy used in the ELS measurements was systematically varied from 100 to 1150 eV in order to distinguish surface versus bulk loss processes. Two predominant loss features in the ELS spectra obtained from Cr metal at 9.0 and 23.0 eV are assigned to the surface and bulk plasmon excitations, respectively, and a number of other features arising from single electron transitions from both the bulk and surface Cr 3d bands to higher-lying states in the conduction band are also present. The ELS spectra obtained from Cr₂O₃ exhibit features that originate from both interband transitions and charge-transfer transitions between the Cr and O ions as well as the bulk plasmon at 24.4 eV. The ELS feature at 4.0 eV arises from a charge-transfer transition between the oxygen and chromium ions in the two surface layers beneath the chemisorbed oxygen layer, and the ELS feature at 9.8 eV arises from a similar transition involving the chemisorbed oxygen atoms. The intensity of the ELS peak at 9.8 eV decreases after Ar⁺ sputtering due to the removal of chemisorbed oxygen atoms. Sputtering also increases the number of Cr²⁺ states on the surface, which in turn increases the intensity of the 4.0 eV feature. Furthermore, the ELS spectra obtained from the sputtered Cr₂O₃ surface exhibit features characteristic of both Cr⁰ and Cr₂O₃, indicating that Ar⁺ sputtering reduces Cr₂O₃. The fact that neither the surface- nor the bulk-plasmon features of Cr⁰ can be observed in the ELS spectra obtained from sputtered Cr₂O₃ while the loss features due to Cr⁰ interband transitions are clearly present indicates that Cr⁰ atoms form small clusters lacking a bulk metallic nature during Ar⁺ bombardment of Cr₂O₃.     

On the mechanism of the interaction between oxygen and close-packed single-crystal aluminum surfaces

Using periodic first principles simulations we investigate the interaction of oxygen molecules with both regular Al(111) and Al(001) surfaces as well as a stepped Al(111) substrate. The limitation of this approach is the use of thin metallic slabs with a limited range for their coverage by adsorbed oxygen. The advantage is the detailed modeling that is possible at an atomic level. On the regular Al(111) surface, we have been able to follow the oxidation process from the approach of O₂ molecules to the surface, through the chemisorption and absorption of O atoms, up to the formation of first Al₂O₃ formula units. An energetically feasible mechanism for the formation of these Al₂O₃ ‘molecules’ is proposed but their aggregation to Al₂O₃ growth nuclei can only be surmised. On the Al(001) surface, absorption of oxygen atoms occurs more readily without any restrictions on the density of their surface overlayer, in agreement with the failure to observe a distinct chemisorption stage for O on Al(001) experimentally. The stepped Al(111) surface contains both {111} and {001} microfacets: the latter are obviously preferred for penetration of the oxygen adatoms into the subsurface space of the substrate. Before considering the O/Al interfaces the computational method is tested thoroughly by simulations on bulk Al and close-packed aluminum surfaces.     

UPS spectra of H2O,CH3OH and C5H9OH adsorbed onto Cu(111)/Na and Na(cp)

The present communication presents ultraviolet photoemission spectra (UPS) of three different “alcohols”; water (H₂O), methanol (CH₃OH), and cyclopentanol (C₅H₉OH), chemisorbed onto a Cu(111) surface partially covered by sodium atoms as well as onto closely packed sodium films, a free electron adsorbent. Whereas all three alcohols ROH bind reversibly and associatively to Cu(111) they react with adsorbed sodium atoms to metal bound alcoxides RO. The chemisorption bond, characterized by the interaction between O 2pπ orbitals and metal atoms as an electron donor, the alcoxide being the acceptor, is similar for all groups R. The O 2pπ orbitals shift to higher UPS binding energies with increasing electron density, i.e. decreasing r_s/a_o of the sodium overlayer. Only for HONa, the sterically smallest group R, does the alcoxide growth continue in three dimensions. Although, possibly failing to reproduce the electron density profile of a free electron surface, Hartree-Fock-Slater cluster calculations of small models ROH and RONa₃ enable correlations to be made between UPS intensity peaks and one electron orbitals.     

Adsorbate structure modeling based on electron energy loss spectroscopy and lattice dynamical calculations: Application to O/A1(111).

High-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and lattice dynamical calculations based on pair interactions are used to investigate oxygen chemisorption on Al(111). The O/Al(111) System is complicated by the simultaneous formation of an oxygen overlayer and underlayer. Oxygen atoms at overlayer and underlayer sites near the Al(111) surface produce well-defined vibrational loss peaks in EELS spectra, however, dynamical coupling between the oxygen atoms and with the host lattice cause vibrational energies to shift with overlayer and underlayer concentrations. These shifts as well as structural parameters of the O/Al(111) complex can be deduced from a slab model of the surface lattice dynamics.     

Chemisorbed ordered oxygen overlayer on AL(111): An angular resolved photoemission study

Chemisorbed oxygen atoms on aluminum induce a strong O 2p derived surface resonance. On the (111) crystal face the oxygen atoms form an ordered overlayer of (1x1) symmetry. The O 2p resonance in this system has been studied using angle resolved photoemission. The results indicate one of the threefold centered hollow sites as the probable site of chemisorption. At normal electron emission, the O 2p resonance is sharp and symmetric. Strong dispersion effects are seen at non-normal emission indicating appreciable oxygen-oxygen interaction in the chemisorbed layer.     

Interaction of NO with a Ni (111) surface

The interaction of NO with a Ni (111) surface was studied by means of LEED, AES, UPS and flash desorption spectroscopy. NO adsorbs with a high sticking probability and may form two ordered structures (c4 × 2 and hexagonal) from (undissociated) NO_ad. The mean adsorption energy is about 25 $\text{kcal}\text{mole}$. Dissociation of adsorbed NO starts already at ?120°C, but the activation energy for this process increases with increasing coverage (and even by the presence of preadsorbed oxygen) up to the value for the activation energy of NO desorption. The recombination of adsorbed nitrogen atoms and desorption of N₂ occurs around 600 °C with an activation energy of about 52 $\text{kcal}\text{mole}$. A chemisorbed oxygen layer converts upon further increase of the oxygen concentration into epitaxial NiO. A mixed layer consisting of N_ad + O_ad (after thermal decomposition of NO) exhibits a complex LEED pattern and can be stripped of adsorbed oxygen by reduction with H₂. This yields an N_ad overlayer exhibiting a 6 × 2 LEED pattern. A series of new maxima at ≈ ?2, ?8.8 and ?14.6 eV is observed in the UV photoelectron spectra from adsorbed NO which are identified with surface states derived from molecular orbitals of free NO. N_ad as well as O_ad causes a peak at ?5.6 eV which is derived from the 2p electrons of the adsorbate. The photoelectron spectrum from NiO agrees closely with a recent theoretical evaluation.     

A LEED/UPS study on the interaction of oxygen with a Ni(111) surface

Exposure of a Ni(111) surface to oxygen leads at first to the formation of a chemisorbed overlayer which is characterized by a 2 × 2-superstructure and a maximum in the photoemission spectrum (hv = 40.8 eV) centered at 5.6 eV below the Fermi level E_F. The emission from the Ni d-states is nearly unaffected at this stage of interaction. After high oxygen exposures the epitaxial growth of NiO can be identified from the LEED pattern. The corresponding photoelectron spectrum is strongly altered and exhibits close agreement with the transition energies as calculated by Messmer et al. for a NiO₆^10- -cluster.     

Adsorbate band structure of bromine on Pd(111) studied by angle resolved ultraviolet photoemission

The photoemission spectra from Pd(111) and from the Pd(111)-Br(√3 × √3)R30° system are reported; some new features for the clean surface are detected and assigned. The principal effect of the Br overlayer on the direct transitions is a general intensity reduction. Three adsorbate derived features are detected; one at 4 eV with no dispersion is probably an adsorbate-induced feature of the metal, and the other two which disperse are assigned as Br 4p_x, (4.5 eV) and Br 4p_z (6 eV) at $\text{}\text{?}$gG.     

Basic studies of the oxygen surface chemistry of silver: Chemisorbed atomic and molecular species on pure Ag(111)

The interaction of oxygen with Ag(111) has been studied over the pressure range 10^?2?1.0 Torr. Thermal desorption measurements using isotopically labelled molecules unambiguously establish the presence of a stable chemisorbed dioxygen species which co-exists with adsorbed atomic oxygen. Dissolved oxygen undergoes exchange with the latter species but not with the former. The maximum dioxygen population is found to be markedly sensitive to gas dosing pressure; a model is proposed which accounts for these observations and for related observations on alkali-doped Ag. XP and UP spectral features can be correlated with the two types of oxygen species; angle-resolved XP and Auger spectra indicate that O₂ (a) resides on the metal surface whereas O(a) is located within the surface. The XP spectra also suggest that in the case of O₂(a) the molecular axis may lie perpendicular to the surface.     

Electron beam effects on oxygen exposed aluminum surfaces

The damaging effects of electron beams during the acquisition of electron spectra have long been an obstacle in surface analysis. In order to understand the physico-chemical processes which take place under electron irradiation in an AlO system, we have carried out an experiment in which artifices, such as heating, charging, and gas contamination, were absent. We have observed with Auger Electron Spectra increases of the oxidation extent and the oxygen concentration on an oxygen exposed (111) textured polycrystalline surface under electron irradiation (5 keV, 9 × 10^?5 A/cm²). These increases were not observed on a clean surface, and were very feeble on a (100) single crystal surface. The increase of oxygen concentration was independent of residual gas pressure (3 × 10^?9 to 6 × 10^?10 Torr) and its composition; and therefore cannot be explained by gas contamination during the experimental period (about 70 min). We attribute the increase of oxidation degree to the transition of chemisorbed oxygen atoms into oxide through direct momentum transfer from the incident electrons. We suggest that the increase of oxygen within the irradiated area is due to the surface diffusion of chemisorbed oxygen atoms from outside the irradiated area. These oxygen atoms are excited by the electrons scattered from the vacuum chamber walls and gain energy through Franck-Condon type mechanism. The absence of chemisorbed oxygen atoms on (100) surface explains the near absence of these increases on this surface.     

Electronic structures of chemisorption systems on Si(111) surface I. Si(111)7 × 7/H,Cl

Electronic structures of chemisorption on Si(111)/H,C1 are investigated by the first principle DV-Xα cluster method. The calculations are carried out for chemisorption on different sites, based on the Si₁₃H₁₅ cluster, and the effect of surface vacancy and buckling on the electronic structure is examined in detail. The present calculation shows that the Si₁₃H₁₅ surface cluster reproduces very well the more sophisticated band calculation for the Si(111) surface. It is concluded that the vacancy model with chemisorbed atoms at appropriate sites is reasonable to interpret the observed UPS of Si(111) 7 × 7/H,C1. The charge transfer between the substrate atom and the adatom depends strongly both on the chemisorption sites and on the electronegativitv difference.     

Growth of thin, crystalline oxide, nitride, and oxynitride films on NiAl and CoGa surfaces

At 300 K, an amorphous Al-oxide film is formed on NiAl(001) upon oxygen adsorption. Annealing of the oxygen-saturated NiAl(001) surface to 1200 K leads to the formation of thin well-ordered θ-Al₂O₃ films. At 300 K, and low-exposure oxygen atoms are chemisorbed on CoGa(001) on defects and on step edges of the terraces. For higher exposure up to saturation, the adsorption of oxygen leads to the formation of an amorphous Ga-oxide film. The EEL spectrum of the amorphous film exhibits two losses at ≈400 and 690 cm^-1. After annealing the amorphous Ga-oxide films to 550 K thin, well-ordered β-Ga₂O₃ films are formed on top of the CoGa(001) surface. The EEL spectrum of the β-Ga₂O₃ films show strong Fuchs-Kliewer (FK) modes at 305, 455, 645, and 785 cm^-1. The β-Ga₂O₃ films are well ordered and show (2×1) LEED pattern with two domains, oriented perpendicular to each other. The STM study confirms the two domains structure and allows the determination of the two-dimensional lattice parameters of β-Ga₂O₃. The vibrational properties and the structure of β-Ga₂O₃ on CoGa(001) and θ-Al₂O₃ on NiAl(001) are very similar. Ammonia adsorption at 80 K on NiAl(111) and NiAl(001) and subsequent thermal decomposition at elevated temperatures leads to the formation of AlN. Well-ordered and homogeneous AlN thin films can be prepared by several cycles of ammonia adsorption and annealing to 1250 K. The films render a distinct LEED pattern with hexagonal [AlN/NiAl(111)] or pseudo-twelve-fold [AlN/NiAl(001)] symmetry. The lattice constant of the grown AlN film is determined to be a_AlN= 3.11 Å. EEL spectra of AlN films show a FK phonon at 865 cm^-1. The electronic gap is determined to be E_g= 6.1±0.2 eV. GaN films are prepared by using the same procedure on the (001) and (111) surfaces of CoGa. The films are characterized by a FK phonon at 695 cm^-1 and an electronic band gap E_g= 3.5±0.2 eV. NO adsorption at 75 K on NiAl(001) and subsequent annealing to 1200 K leads to the formation of aluminium oxynitride (AlON). An oxygen to nitrogen atomic ratio of ≈2:1 was estimated from the analysis of AES spectra. The AlON films shows a distinct (2×1) LEED pattern and the EEL spectrum exhibits characteristic Fuchs-Kliewer modes. The energy gap is determined to be E_g= 6.6±0.2 eV. The structure of the AlON film is derived from that of θ-Al₂O₃ formed on NiAl(001). Received: 21 March 1997/Accepted: 12 August 1997     

Oxidation of Al single crystal surfaces by exposure to O2 and H2O

The initial stages of oxidation of Al single crystals are studied by soft X-ray photoemission spectroscopy at photon energies hv = 30 eV and 111.13 eV using synchroton radiation. Both the valence band region and the substrate Al 2p core levels are measured with high resolution to clarify the differences between (a) the geometrical effects at different surfaces, (100) and (110), and (b) between the oxidation by pure O₂ and H₂O. There is a well established but not very dramatic differences in the O 2p induced band between the two crystal surfaces when oxidizing with O₂. The Al 2p spectra reveal an initial state of oxidation with less O atoms per Al atom than in Al₂O₃ate disappears at higher exposures with O₂ while it is absent when oxidizing with H₂O. Only about 1/4 of the exposure with H₂O is needed to obtain the same coverage as with O₂.     

Oxygen chemisorption,surface oxidation,and the oxidation of carbon monoxide on cobalt (0001)

Oxygen chemisorbs on clean Co(0001) at 300 K with an initial sticking probability of ~0.3. The chemisorbed overlayer (which is very reactive towards CO) readily undergoes conversion to cobalt oxide, even at room temperature. This transformation is accelerated at higher temperatures, and the oxygen uptake rate falls as CoO growth proceeds. At a certain point, however, the uptake rate rises sharply, and this behaviour is ascribed to nucleation and growth ofCo₃O₄. This interpretation is consistent with the available Δφ, Auger, LEED, and reactivity data. Thus Δφ changes sign as lattice penetration by the ad sorbed oxygen takes place, and this is accompanied by a shift and broadening of the O(KLL) Auger signal. LEED indicates the epitaxial growth firstly of CoO(111) and then, at higher oxygen exposures, of Co₃O₄(111). At 300 K CO rapidly reduces the Co₃O₄ surface back to CoO, and the oxidation/reduction behaviour by O₂/CO appears to be completely reversible. Steady-state measurements yield a value of 19 ± 7 kJ mol^?1 for the activation energy to CO₂ production from CO + O₂. Earlier photoelectron spectroscopic studies by other authors are considered in the light of these results.     

The lineshape of the L2,3 VV Auger spectrum of silicon

An attempt is presented to understand the details of the lineshape of the Si L_2,3 VV Auger spectrum from the (111) surface in the 7 × 7 superstructure. In the experiments we have followed the variation of the lineshape induced by adsorption of O₂, H₂O, CO and by bombardment with 3 keV Ar⁺ ions, over a range from a small perturbation of the surface to major changes in surface structure. For small perturbations from the clean surface we were able to resolve changes in the local density of states at surface silicon atoms. By unfolding the experimental spectra, effective transition densities of states result, which compare quite closely with calculated densities of states, apart from a certain enhancement of surface features in the experiments. All peaks in the experimental spectra can be explained, based on densities of states at the surface of pure Si(111) (7 × 7) (91.8 and 84.8 eV), Si(111) + adsorbed oxygen (70.6 eV), SiO₂, (78.9 and 64.5 eV) and plasmon losses, at 71.0 and 57.5 eV for the clean surface.     

A LEED and AES study of the structure,debye temperature,and oxidation of the (111) crystal face of thorium

The structure, and reactivity towards O₂ and CO, of the (111) crystal face of a single crystal of high purity thorium metal was studied using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). After the sample was cleaned in vacuum by a combination of ion bombardment and annealing, a (1 × 1) LEED pattern characteristic of a (111) surface was obtained. Extended annealing of the cleaned sample at 1000 K produced a new LEED pattern characteristic of a (9 × 9) surface structure. A model of a reconstructed thorium surface is presented that generates the observed LEED pattern. When monolayer amounts of either O₂ or CO were adsorbed onto the crystal surface at 300 K, no ordered surface structures formed. Upon heating the sample following these exposures the (111) surface structure was restored accompanied by a reduction in the amount of surface carbon and oxygen. With continued exposure to either O₂ or CO and annealing, a new LEED pattern developed which was interpreted as resulting from the formation of thorium dioxide. Debye-Walter factor measurements were made by monitoring the intensity of a specularly reflected electron beam and indicated that the Debye temperature of the surface region is less than it is in bulk thorium. Consequently, the mean displacement of thorium atoms from their equilibrium positions was found to increase at the surface of the crystal. The presence of chemisorbed oxygen on the crystal surface affected the Debye temperature, raising it significantly.     

Ordered oxygen overlayers on Cr(100) observed by leed and photoemission

Chemisorbed oxygen atoms on Cr(100) induce strong O(2p) derived surface resonances which are studied by angle resolved photoemission. Well ordered structures are observed after annealing (300°C). In the submonolayer range (θ_O < 1) a study of the symmetry and dispersion of the O(2p) derived features shows the two-dimensional Bloch character associated with either a c(2 × 2)-O surface at low coverages (θ_O?0.25) or a (1 × 1)-O structure at high coverages (θ_O?0.9). When combined with LEED observations and work function data this study indicates that both structures coexist around θ_O = 0.5 and chemisorbed oxygen is probably incorporated into the fourfold hollow sites. At θ_O > 1, the onset of oxidation is clearly shown in the valence band and core level spectra and the data support the existence of a thin spinel-like oxide layer.     

Adsorption of oxygen on clean single crystal faces of aluminium

Auger electron spectroscopy and work function measurements have been used to study the interaction of clean Al(111) and Al(100) faces with oxygen at low pressure near room temperature. The results for the two faces differ strongly. Thus, the sticking probability of the (111) face decreases rapidly with coverage, while the work function increases slightly, by 0.1 eV at 200 L. In contrast, the sticking probability of the (100) faces goes through a maximum, whereas the work function decreases almost linearly with coverage, the total decrease at 200 L being 0.5–0.8 eV. The shape of the Al L_{2, 3}VV spectrum from oxidized Al(100) is independent of coverage, and it is in fact very similar to previously reported spectra from oxidized polycrystalline aluminium. The corresponding spectrum from Al(111) exhibits large changes with oxygen coverage and shows a previously unreported double peak at ~60 eV. The results are explained on the assumption that oxygen adsorbs randomly on the (111) face, and that thin (~5 Å) islands of Al₂O₃-like oxide form on the (100) face.     

Els investigations of the beginning oxidation on aluminum thin films

ELS and simultaneous quartz microbalance investigations have been carried out on clean aluminum and its surface oxide layer. The loss spectrum of clean Al is interpreted by the collective features of the conduction electrons: volume and surface plasmons, the latter being extremely sensitive to a small oxygen uptake. In the very beginning the oxidation is characterized by a loss peak at 7.3 eV which is attributed to a single electron transition from the O(2p) level to an unfilled state near the Fermi level of the metal. The decreasing intensity of the 7.3 eV loss and the increasing of a second loss at 19.2 eV with further oxygen uptake are tentatively explained by the formation of Al₂O₃ and interband transitions of amorphous Al oxide. The formation of A1₂O₃ is supported by the gravimetric measurements of oxygen mass gain.     

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.