Angular resolved ups of surface states on GaAs(1̄1̄1̄) prepared by molecular beam epitaxy

The As-rich (2 × 2), a newly found (√3 × √3) and the (√19 × √19) surfaces of GaAs(1̄1̄1̄) are studied by angular resolved UPS (ARUPS). The (2 × 2) surface is prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and the others by mild annealing. For the (2 × 2) surface emission from surface states is observed, which shows dispersion periodic within the (2 × 2) surface Brillouin zone. Using s-polarized light and the known symmetry selection rules the uppermost surface bands between 1 and 2 eV below the valence band maximum are assigned to the As dangling bond orbital. The bands near 4 and 7 eV assigned to the backbonds. From the strong decrease of emission intensity of the As-derived surface states between the (2 × 2) and the annealed surfaces it is concluded that the character of the As dangling bond orbital must have been changed from sp³-hybridic to s-like. This gives further evidence for our recently proposed model for the (√19 × √19) surface, which is particularly applicable for the (√3 × √3) surface.     

Iodine etching of the GaAs(1̄1̄1̄)As surface studied by LEED,AES, and mass spectroscopy

The iodine interaction with the GaAs(1̄1̄1̄)As surface prepared by molecular beam epitaxy has been studied by LEED, LEED intensity measurements, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and computer controlled mass spectroscopic study of the whole desorption spectrum. It is shown that an iodine beam hitting the GaAs(1̄1̄1̄)As face at 300 K under UHV conditions etches the surface continuously. After this etching there remains an adsorbate of GaI_x where x is a number between 0 and 3. By thermal desorption of this GaI_x adsorbate an As stabilized GaAs(1̄1̄1̄)As surface showing a (2 × 2) structure can be prepared, which up to the present could be done only by molecular beam epitaxy.     

The effect of hydrogen chemisorption on GaAs(100) and GaAs(1̄1̄1̄)

The interaction of hydrogen with the polar (100) and (1̄1̄1̄) surfaces of GaAs has been studied with LEED, angle-resolved photoemission and core level spectroscopy. It was found that the properties of the hydrogen-covered surface were independent of the composition of the initial surface. The core levels also showed an increase in the surface As concentration for initially Ga-rich surfaces. Angle-resolved photoemission results for GaAs(100) and GaAs(100):H are presented and the dispersion of a hydrogen-induced state is shown.     

A new type of reconstruction on the InSb(1̄1̄1̄) surface determined by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction

The (3×3) reconstruction of the InSb(1̄1̄1̄) surface has been investigated by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy. The structure is characterized by 6-atom rings on top of a slightly buckled InSb top double layer. Two types of rings have been found, an elliptic ring consisting of 4 In and 2 Sb atoms and a trigonal ring with 3 In and 3 Sb atoms. The bond angles and lengths are consistent with the concept of rehybridization and depolarization which explains the reconstructions of the (111) and (110) surfaces.     

Observation of extrinsic surface states on (112̄0) CdS

Surface states have been detected by surface photovoltage spectroscopy on (112̄0) CdS surfaces subjected to various treatments in UHV and studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and LEED. All surface electronic features can be related to chemical contamination or lattice nonstoichiometry. Energy level spectra of air-exposed CdS exhibit a set of discrete states due to adsorption of C, O, and Cl. Ion bombardment generates a pair of states 2.35 eV and ~0.8 eV above the valence band edge due to S interstitials and vacancies, respectively. Oxygen adsorption produces a broad continuum of states. Changes in surface atomic order show no direct effect on these electronic features. No intrinsic surface states, filled or empty, are observed by surface photovoltage spectroscopy on clean, stoichiometric (112̄0) faces of CdS.     

Atomic relaxation of the BeO (101̄0) surface

The atomic relaxation of the nonpolar (101̄0) surface of BeO has been calculated by minimizing the surface energy within the framework of the ab initio Hartree-Fock method. A six-layer two-dimensionally periodic slab model was used, permitting a full symmetry-conserving relaxation of the two outer layers. The BeO surface bonds show a small rotation angle of about 4 accompanied by a large (about 10%) reduction in surface bond length. Significant contraction of backbonds and a small rotation of second layer bonds are also found. The relaxed BeO (101̄0) surface is thus predicted to be similar to the ZnO (101̄0) surface but different from the corresponding surfaces of all other II–VI compounds. Various explanations for this difference are discussed, and evidence from a bond population analysis is presented which suggests that this behavior can be described in terms of partial double bond character in the surface bonds. Since multiple bonding is related to small atomic radii, it would follow that the small radius of the oxygen atom is the ultimate cause of the type of surface relaxation we predict.     

The reactivity of the clean and contaminated (0001̄) polar and the (101̄0) prism ZnO surfaces to chlorine

The reactivities of the (0001̄) and (101̄O) surfaces of zinc oxide to chlorine gas have been studied by a range of techniques. In the case of the (0001̄) oxygen polar surface investigations were made with the surface both atomically clean and with a known level of carbon and calcium contamination. Comparison is made with our earlier results on the (0001) surface which showed a high level of reactivity due to the increased electrostatic stability on adsorption of the electronegative gas. Both the oxygen polar and the prism surface showed a much lower reactivity to chlorine than the zinc face: contamination by carbon and calcium on the former surface reduced the reactivities still further. This result conflicts with comparable data for oxygen adsorption where previous work has shown a greater take-up of oxygen on the oxygen face than the zinc face. Unlike the zinc face, no LEED superstructures were observed on any of, the three surfaces, but in common with the (0001) there were significant electron beam desorption effects. Two states could be identified: one was rapidly removed in ~10 μA min exposure to the beam, the other in much longer periods. Work function and ELS data were consistent with atomic adsorption of chlorine on all surfaces. An exception was the (101̄O) at high exposures where a work function decrease took place following the initial increase: this may indicate a second molecular state.     

XPS study of the O2/SF6 microwave plasma oxidation of (0 0 1) GaAs surfaces

O₂SF₆ plasma effects on processed GaAs surfaces have been investigated. The influence of plasma parameters such as composition, power and exposure time has been studied. The microwave plasma treatment efficiency has been studied by surface depth profiling (cycles consisting of XPS measurements followed by a slight etching) coupled with an original modelling calculation. We have pointed out that SF₆ addition in plasma increases the oxidative rule of oxygen by increasing the total oxide thickness and that the quantity of the different oxidative and passivating species does not limit the oxidative mechanism, in the O₂:SF₆ ratio range 80:20 to 40:60. The increase in the plasma power leads to a change in the composition of the outer region of the oxide layer with an increase in the gallium content on the surface, and to an increase in the total oxide layer. The exposure time to the plasma increases also these two phenomena.     

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy of NO,O2 and NH3 on Si (1 1 1) surfaces

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy has been applied to the study of Si (1 1 1) surfaces covered with NO and NH₃. It is proposed that these gases are absorbed in molecular states at room temperature. The similarity of the loss spectra for NO and O₂ strongly favors with our recent proposal that O₂ is adsorbed as molecules at the initial stage of the oxidation.     

Structure determination of the clean Co(112̄0) surface by LEED

The atomic structure of the (112&#x0304;0) surface of cobalt has been determined by LEED using six intensity spectra at normal incidence. The surface exhibits the truncated bulk structure with a contraction of the first interlayer spacing by about 8.5% with respect to the bulk value. Quantitative evaluation of the LEED spectra was done using Zanazzi and Jona's and Pendry's r-factors. The minimum averaged r-factors are $\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>ZJ</mtext>}}\text{= 0.09}$ and $\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>P</mtext>}}\text{= 0.22}$. No change of the interatomic distances within the plane could be detected and no rearrangement of the surface structure takes place up to temperatures shortly below the transition temperature.     

Oxygen adsorption and oxidation reactions on Au(2 1 1) surfaces: Exposures using O2 at high pressures and ozone (O3) in UHV

Nanosized gold particles supported on reducible metal oxides have been reported to show high catalytic activity toward CO oxidation at low temperature. This has generated great scientific and technological interest, and there have been many proposals to explain this unusual activity. One intriguing explanation that can be tested is that of Nørskov and coworkers [Catal. Lett. 64 (2000) 101] who suggested that the “unusually large catalytic activity of highly-dispersed Au particles may in part be due to high step densities on the small particles and/or strain effects due to the mismatch at the Au-support interface”. In particular, their calculations indicated that the Au(2 1 1) stepped surface would be much more reactive towards O₂ dissociative adsorption and CO adsorption than the Au(1 1 1) surface. We have now studied the adsorption of O₂ and O₃ (ozone) on an Au(2 1 1) stepped surface. We find that molecular oxygen (O₂) was not activated to dissociate and produce oxygen adatoms on the stepped Au(2 1 1) surface even under high-pressure (700 Torr) conditions with the sample at 300-450 K. Step sites do bind oxygen adatoms more tightly than do terrace sites, and this was probed by using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of O₂ following ozone (O₃) exposures to produce oxygen adatoms up to a saturation coverage of θ_O = 0.90 ML. In the low-coverage regime (θ_O ? 0.15 ML), the O₂ TPD peak at 540 K, which does not shift with coverage, is attributed to oxygen adatoms that are bound at the steps on the Au(2 1 1) surface. At higher coverages, an additional lower temperature desorption peak that shifts from 515 to 530 K at saturation coverage is attributed to oxygen adsorbed on the (1 1 1) terrace sites of the Au(2 1 1) surface. Although the desorption kinetics are likely to be quite complex, a simple Redhead analysis gives an estimate of the desorption activation energy, E_d, for the step-adsorbed oxygen of 34 kcal/mol and that for oxygen at the terraces near saturation coverage of 33 kcal/mol, values that are similar to others reported on Au surfaces. Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) indicates an oxygen-induced step doubling on the Au(2 1 1) surface at low-coverages (θ_O = 0.08-0.17 ML) and extensive disruption of the 2D ordering at the surface for saturation coverages of oxygen (θ_O ? 0.9 ML). Overall, our results indicate that unstrained step sites on Au(2 1 1) surfaces of dispersed Au nanoparticles do not account for the novel reactivity of supported Au catalysts for CO oxidation.     

Dielectric and impedance measurements on (1−x)Ba(Fe1/2Ta1/2)O3-xBa(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3 ceramics

In this work, ((1−x)Ba(Fe_1/2Ta_1/2)O₃-xBa(Zn_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃), ((1−x)BFT-xBZT) ceramics with x = 0.00–0.12 were synthesized by the solid–state reaction method. X-ray diffraction data revealed that both the powders and ceramics were of a pure-phase cubic perovskite structure. All ceramics showed large dielectric constants. For the x = 0.12 sample, a very high dielectric constant (>20,600) was observed. A lowering in the dielectric loss compared to pure BFT ceramics was observed with the BZT addition. The impedance measurements indicated that BZT has a strong effect on the bulk grain and grain boundary resistance of BFT ceramics. These results are in agreement with the measured dielectric properties. Based on dielectric and impedance results, (1−x)BFT-xBZT ceramics could be of great interest for high performance dielectric materials applications due their giant dielectric constant behavior.     

Cu/ZnO(0001&#x0304;) and ZnOx/Cu(111): Model catalysts for methanol synthesis

In an attempt to understand the relative importance of the various constituents of copper-zinc oxide catalysts for methanol synthesis (2H₂ + CO → H₃COH), we have prepared and characterized a number of single-crystal surface structures of Cu-ZnO. The model catalysts have also been tested in terms of their activity for methanol synthesis. The growth of vapor-deposited Cu overlayers on a ZnO(0001&#x0304;) (O face) single crystal has been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), He⁺ ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). The results are consistent with a growth model in which, at room temperature, the first monolayer spreads uniformly across the surface in a p(1 × 1) structure. As more Cu is added, thick Cu(111) islands grow and these are separated by large regions of the p(1 × 1)-Cu monolayer. The Cu(111) islands are rotationally aligned with the ZnO substrate, and at high enough coverages grow together to cover the ZnO. Increasing temperature favors more agglomeration. A clean Cu(111) crystal and one containing a ZnO_x (x ⋍ 3) monolayer were also studied. None of these model catalysts gave rates of methanol production which were measurable in our present experimental limits (TOF < 2 × 10⁻³ molecules site⁻¹ s⁻¹) at 500–600 K and CO + H₂ pressures up to 1500 Torr. Under these “reaction” conditions, the Cu in direct contact with ZnO may be slightly oxidized; all the other Cu is completely metallic. The Cu does not change its character between deposition and reaction conditions, even if heavily oxidized to CuO in between. The addition of CO₂ at very high levels under reaction conditions does not change the character of a Cu(111) model catalyst surface, and no surface oxygen is ever observable after treatment under reaction conditions.     

Adsorption of H2S,H2O and O2 on Si(111) surfaces

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy has been applied to the study of Si(111) surfaces covered with H₂S, H₂O and O₂ at room temperature and the surfaces annealed at ～ 600°C. The experimental results strongly suggest that H₂S and H₂O adsorb in the molecular states at room temperature. It is proposed that O₂ is first adsorbed in a molecular state, then adsorbs as atoms, and finally oxidizes forming SiO₂.     

O2 dissociation on Pd(2 1 1) and Cu(2 1 1) surfaces

We have performed ab initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations to observe the reactivity of the Pd(2 1 1) and Cu(2 1 1) surfaces towards O₂. In order to properly address the adsorption dynamics, the static potential energy surface calculations have been complemented with first principles molecular dynamics calculations, which reveal interesting steering effects that complicate the dissociation dynamics. We have found that on both surfaces the step microfacets are very reactive and the dissociation of the O₂ molecule at room temperature occurs mostly on those sites.     

A comparative study of dielectric and Raman spectroscopy of Pb(Y b1/2Ta1/2)O3 and Pb(Y b1/2Nb1/2)O3

A comparative study of the properties of two highly ordered lead based complex perovskites Pb(Y b_1/2Ta_1/2)O₃ and Pb(Y b_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃ has been carried out through x-ray diffraction, dielectric and Raman scattering measurements. These two compounds differ significantly in their structure, dielectric response and phonon vibration although the ionic radii and valencies are same for Ta and Nb. The room temperature x-ray diffraction pattern and Raman spectra show that the symmetry of lead ytterbium tantalate is lower than that of lead ytterbium niobate. The Raman spectra of Pb(Y b_1/2Ta_1/2)O₃ also indicates the presence of local distortion in the lattice which may be one of the factors responsible for the existence of a secondary transition.     

Adsorption studies on a stepped Pt(111) surface: O2, CO,C2H4, C2N2

A comparative study of the adsorption of several gases on a Pt(S)-[9(111) × (111)] surface was performed using LEED, Auger spectroscopy, flash desorption mass spectrometry and work function changes as surface sensitive techniques. Adsorption was found to be generally less ordered on the stepped surface than on the corresponding flat surface with the exception of the oxygen, where r well ordered overlayer in registry over many terraces was found. Absolute coverages were determined from flash desorption experiments for O₂, CO and C₂N₂. Similar values were obtained as on flat Pt surfaces. Two different surface species seem to be formed upon adsorption of C₂H₄ depending on the adsorption temperature. Contrary to reports from Pt(111) surfaces conversion between the two surface species is heavily restricted on the stepped surface. Work function changes revealed nonlinear adsorbate effects where the adsorbate is electronegative with respect to the substrate. Various adsorption models are discussed in the light of complementary experimental evidence. The results of this study are compared with data available from flat Pt surfaces and possible influences of steps are discussed. No general trends, however, emerge from this comparison and it seems that eventual influences of steps have to be considered individually for every adsorbate.     

Reaction of O2 with the boron-terminated TaB2(0 0 0 1) surface

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to study the clean TaB₂(0 0 0 1) surface and its reaction with O₂. In agreement with previous studies, XPS indicates that the clean surface is boron terminated. The topmost boron layer shows a chemically shifted B 1s peak at 187.1 eV compared to a B 1s peak at 188.6 eV for boron layers below the surface. The 187.1-188.6 eV peak intensity ratio and its variation with angle between the crystal normal and the detector is well described by a simple theoretical model based on an independently calculated electron inelastic mean free path of 15.7 Å for TaB₂. The dissociative sticking probability of O₂ on the boron-terminated TaB₂(0 0 0 1) surface is lower by a factor of 10⁴ than for the metal-terminated HfB₂(0 0 0 1) surface.