Helium scattering from metal surfaces: potential determination and crystallography

We describe a method for determining the interaction potential between a helium atom and a metal surface from diffraction data. Results are presented for He/Ni(110) and He/Cu(110). For He/Cu(110) the potential 3s in good agreement with a first principles calculation but this is not true for He/Ni(110). We also show that a surface relaxation of 10% produces measurable changes in intensities.     

Adsorption an Einkristall-Oberflächen von Cu/Ni-legierungen. I

The adsorption of O₂ and CO on the (110) face of a Cu/Ni alloy (55 at% Cu) has been studied by means of low energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy, work function measurements, and flash desorption. A comparison with the behavior of Cu(110) and Ni(110) is made. It is shown that the height of an Auger peak is proportional to the surface concentration of the corresponding species and that the surface composition of the alloy is identical with the composition of the bulk. Adsorption of oxygen leads to the formation of an ordered 2 × 1 structure, as is the case for Cu(110) and Ni(110). Further exposure causes disordered adsorption in contrast to the pure components where c6 × 2 respectively 3 × 1 structures are formed. Oxygen increases the work function of Cu and Cu/Ni by about 0.25 eV whereas for Ni the increase is > 1 eV. CO is not irreversibly adsorbed on Cu at 25°C, but forms a stable 1 × 1 structure on Ni(110). With the alloy two ordered phases (2 × 1 and 2 × 2) are observed. The flash desorption spectrum shows three maxima which are similar to the binding states of CO on Ni(110) and Ni(100). The results are discussed in view of the electronic structure of Cu/Ni alloys and the parameters influencing the configuration of adsorbed particles.     

Mixed layer formation of copper overlayers on Ni(1 1 0) surface

Copper overlayer formation on the Ni(1 1 0) surface was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in an ultrahigh vacuum. Atom-resolved STM images showed that initially deposited Cu is replaced with surface Ni atoms forming atom-size depressions on the Ni(1 1 0) terraces and a Ni-rich quasi-one-dimensional island along the direction. Further Cu deposition yields a mosaic structure on the islands, indicating Cu/Ni mixed layer formation. From the quantitative measurement of the Cu/Ni ratio on the substrate and the islands, impinging Cu will be replaced with surface Ni whereas expelled Ni and directly impinging Cu to the island form the mixed island. The number of Cu atoms in the islands, however, more than the directly impinging Cu, indicate significant Cu/Ni replacement at the periphery of the island.     

The interplay between geometry,electronic structure,and reactivity of Cu-Ni bimetallic (111) surfaces

The mutual influence of surface geometry (e.g. lattice parameters, morphology) and electronic structure is discussed for Cu-Ni bimetallic (111) surfaces. It is found that on flat surfaces the electronic d-states of the adlayer experience very little influence from the substrate electronic structure which is due to their large separation in binding energies and the close match of Cu and Ni lattice constants. Using carbon monoxide and benzene as probe molecules, it is found that in most cases the reactivity of Cu or Ni adlayers is very similar to the corresponding (111) single crystal surfaces. Exceptions are the adsorption of CO on submonolayers of Cu on Ni(111) and the dissociation of benzene on Ni/Cu(111) which is very different from Ni(111). These differences are related to geometric factors influencing the adsorption on these surfaces. Received: 26 August 2002 / Accepted: 4 September 2002 / Published online: 5 February 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +44-1223/76-2829, E-mail: gh10009@cam.ac.uk [+1pt] Present address: University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Department of Chemistry, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK     

Leed,auger, and electron energy loss studies of Ni epitaxially grown on Cu(100)

Nickel was epitaxially deposited onto a clean, flat Cu(100) surface. Low energy electron diffraction I(E) curves were recorded for 0.6, 1.1, and 2.7 monolayer (ML) Ni coverage. Multilayer relaxation was considered in theoretical calculations, which were compared with experiment by means of the R|ΔE| factor. The estimated relaxations of the first and second interlayer spacings are estimated to be − 2% and + 1.5% for clean Cu(100), − 2% and − 1.5% for 1 ML Ni coverage, relative to the bulk Cu interlayer spacing of 1.81 Å, and −1% and 0% for 3 ML Ni coverage, relative to the bulk Ni spacing of 1.76 Å. Decreasing the surface Debye temperature of the Ni layer to 268 K from the bulk value of 440 K improves the agreement between theory and experiment. The optimum inner potential values are − 9 and − 10 eV for clean Cu(100) and Ni on Cu(100), respectively. Auger electron spectroscopy was used to determine the thickness of the Ni films, and LEED indicates layer-by-layer growth until about 4 layers, when the LEED spots begin to spread, indicating island formation. Electron energy loss spectra were obtained with primary electron energies of 150 and 300 eV. The 3p core ionization transition was clearly observed after 0.5 ML Ni coverage. Peaks at 3.8 and 7.5 eV for clean Cu are ascribed to interband transitions, and shift to higher energy with Ni coverage. Peaks at 10 and 16 eV for clean Cu (ascribed to an interband transition and a surface plasmon, respectively) disappear with Ni coverage. Bulk plasmon peaks at 19 and 27 eV remain unshifted with Ni coverage. The effect of 0.9 and 1.3 ML Ni coverage of Cu(100) on the chemisorption of Co and oxygen was also studied. The behavior of the surface towards oxygen chemisorption was similar to that of the pure Ni surface. For a large exposure of oxygen (50 L and more) the EEL and Auger spectra are very similar to those observed for NiO. In the case of CO, for submonolayer Ni coverage, the surface shows a more Cu-like behavior, while for larger Ni coverage (a monolayer and more) there is a great similarity with the behavior of the pure Ni(100) surface.     

Oscillations in the compositional depth profile of Cu/Ni alloys: A study by UPS

The composition in the surface region of a (110) oriented single crystal of Cu/Ni alloy was studied by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) in the energy range hv = 32–240 eV. The data indicate a surface enrichment of Cu and that the composition, as a function of depth below the surface, does not approach the bulk value in a monotonic manner but shows at least one oscillation. The depth sampled by the UPS experiment was varied by changing the photon energy and thus the escape length of the photoemitted electrons. Two surfaces of a single bulk crystal (bulk atomic composition 90% Ni and 10% Cu) were studied. One was the high temperature equilibrium surface (AES measurements yielded a surface composition of ~65% Cu and 35% Ni); the second surface was higher in Ni concentration (AES measurements gave ~65% Ni and 35% Cu) and was obtained by annealing at a lower temperature. Theories based on the quasi-chemical and regular solution models predict a surface enrichment of Cu for the alloy, but do not predict any oscillation in composition below the surface.     

Observation of surface segregation of sulphur in CuNi alloys at elevated temperature with scanning Auger electron microscope

Surface segregations of Cu and S in a CuNi (50wt%) alloy at elevated temperatures of ～600°C were studied under scanning Auger electron microscope, JAMP-3. Scanning images of S, Cu and Ni Auger signals have revealed that the surface segregations of both Cu and S take place preferentially depending on grains and the contrasts in S and Cu Auger images are complementary. This leads to another confirmation of the previous work, namely, that the surface segregation of Cu is considerably suppressed by the existence of S at the outermost atom layer.     

Raman analysis of bilayer graphene film prepared on commercial Cu(0.5 at% Ni) foil

This study reports the Raman analysis of bilayer graphene films prepared on commercial dilute Cu(0.5 at% Ni) foils using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition. A bilayer graphene film obtained on Cu foil is known to have small areas of bilayer (islands) with a significant fraction of non‐Bernal stacking, while that obtained on Cu/Ni is known to grow over a large area with Bernal stacking. In the Raman optical microscope images, a wafer‐scale monolayer and large‐area bilayer graphene films were distinguished and confirmed with Raman spectra intensities ratios of 2D to G peaks. The large‐area part of bilayer graphene film obtained was assisted by Ni surface segregation because Ni has higher methane decomposition rate and carbon solubility compared with Cu. The Raman data suggest a Bernal stacking order in the prepared bilayer graphene film. A four‐point probe sheet resistance of graphene films confirmed a bilayer graphene film sheet resistance distinguished from that of monolayer graphene. A relatively higher Ni surface concentration in Cu(0.5 at% Ni) foil was confirmed with time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The inhomogeneous distribution of Ni in a foil and the diverse crystallographic surface of a foil (confirmed with proton‐induced X‐ray emission and electron backscatter diffraction, respectively) could be a reason for incomplete wafer‐scale bilayer graphene film. The Ni surface segregation in dilute Cu(0.5 at% Ni) foil has a potential to impact on atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition growth of large‐area bilayer graphene film. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of the surface topography and nano-hardness of Cu/Ni multilayer structures

This article describes the results of a study of Cu/Ni multilayer coatings applied on a monocrystalline Si(100) silicon substrate by the deposition magnetron sputtering technique. Composed of 100 bilayers each, the multilayers were differentiated by the Ni sublayer thickness (1.2 to 3 nm), while maintaining the constant Cu sublayer thickness (2 nm). The multilayer coatings were characterized by assessing their surface topography using atomic force microscopy and their mechanical properties with nano-hardness measurements by the Berkovich method. The tests showed that the hardness of multilayers was substantially influenced by the thickness ratio of Cu and Ni sublayers and by surface roughness. The highest hardness and, at the same time, the lowest roughness was exhibited by a multilayer structure with a Cu-to-Ni sublayer thickness ratio of 2:1.5.     

热-电应力下Cu/Ni/SnAg_(1.8)/Cu倒装铜柱凸点界面行为及失效机理

微互连铜柱凸点因其密度高、导电性好、噪声小被广泛应用于存储芯片、高性能计算芯片等封装领域,研究铜柱凸点界面行为对明确其失效机理和组织演变规律、提升倒装封装可靠性具有重要意义.采用热电应力实验、在线电学监测、红外热像测试和微观组织分析等方法,研究Cu/Ni/SnAg_1.8/Cu微互连倒装铜凸点在温度100—150℃、电流密度2×10~4—3×10~4 A/cm~2热电应力下的互连界面行为、寿命分布、失效机理及其影响因素.铜柱凸点在热电应力下的界面行为可分为Cu_6Sn_5生长和Sn焊料消耗、Cu_6Sn_5转化成Cu_3Sn、空洞形成及裂纹扩展3个阶段,Cu_6Sn_5转化为Cu_3Sn的速率与电流密度正相关.热电应力下,铜凸点互连存在Cu焊盘消耗、焊料完全合金化成Cu_3Sn、阴极镍镀层侵蚀和层状空洞4种失效模式.基板侧Cu焊盘和铜柱侧Ni镀层的溶解消耗具有极性效应,当Cu焊盘位于阴极时,电迁移方向与热迁移方向相同,加速Cu焊盘的溶解以及Cu_3Sn生长,当Ni层为阴极时,电迁移促进Ni层的消耗,在150℃,2.5×10~4 A/cm~2下经历2.5h后,Ni阻挡层出现溃口,导致Ni层一侧的铜柱基材迅速转化成(Cu_x,Ni_y)_6Sn_5和Cu_3Sn合金.铜柱凸点互连寿命较好地服从2参数威布尔分布,形状参数为7.78,为典型的累积耗损失效特征.研究结果表明:相比单一高温应力,热电综合应力显著加速并改变了铜柱互连界面金属间化合物的生长行为和失效机制.     

Coverage Dependence of Growth Mode in Heteroepitaxy of Ni on Cu(100) Surface

A realistic kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulation model with physical parameters is developed, which well reproduces the heteroepitaxial growth of multilayered Ni thin film on Cu(100) surfaces at room temperature. The effects of mass transport between interlayers and edge diffusion of atoms along the islands are included in the simulation model, and the surface roughness and the layer distribution versus total coverage are calculated. Specially, the simulation model reveals the transition of growth mode with coverage and the difference between the Ni heteroepitaxy on Cu(100) and the Ni homoepitaxy on Ni(100). Through comparison of KMC simulation with the real scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments, the Ehrlich-Schwoebel (ES) barrier E_es is estimated to be 0.18±0.02 eV for Ni/Cu(100) system while 0.28 eV for Ni/Ni(100). The simulation also shows that the growth mode depends strongly on the thickness of thin film and the surface temperature, and the critical thickness of growth mode transition is dependent on the growth condition such as surface temperature and deposition flux as well.     

Solid-phase synthesis of solid solutions in Cu/Ni(001) epitaxial nanofilms

Solid-phase synthesis of solid solutions in the epitaxial Cu/Ni(001) bilayer film systems of compositions 3Cu: 1Ni, 1Cu: 1Ni, and 1Cu: 3Ni has been studied using the X-ray diffraction methods. The saturation magnetization and the magnetic crystallographic anisotropy constant on nickel vary in accordance with the solid solution formation. The initiation temperature of the solid solutions is about 350 °C and is independent of the Ni: Cu layer thickness ratio. The solid-phase synthesis of the solid solutions is presumably attributed to the transport of the Cu atoms to the epitaxial Ni(001) layer. It is found that the solid-phase synthesis in the Cu/Ni bilayer nanofilms and multilayers is determined by the spinodal decomposition in the Cu-Ni system.     

Ni掺杂对Cu团簇结构稳定性的影响

采用密度泛函理论对Cu_n和Cu_n-1Ni(n=3-14)团簇的结构及稳定性进行研究.结果证明Cu_n(n=3-14)团簇的基态不是密实结构而是类似双平面的构型;计算表明:Ni掺杂增加了铜团簇的稳定性,Cu_nNi(n=2-13)团簇的最稳态结构与单质铜团簇不同而是以形成二十面体为基础的密实结构,Ni原子趋于和尽量多的Cu原子成键而最终陷入笼状团簇的中心;偶数个粒子的团簇具有相对高的稳定性,尤其Cu₃Ni,Cu₇Ni和Cu₉Ni;陷入笼状团簇内部的Ni原子带正电,使得位于表面的Cu原子带负电,从而增加了由这种团簇构成的材料的化学稳定性,如耐腐蚀性等.     

脉冲激光沉积的金属原子团簇的电子状态及生长的研究

 介绍了采用X射线光电子谱(XPS)等技术研究脉冲激光沉积在Ni、Mo、C、NaCl(100)表面的Cu、Au原子团簇的电子状态;结合Cu₂p_3/2 X射线光电子谱峰和Cu L₃M_4,5M_4,5俄歇跃迁分离了电子结合能的初态和终态贡献,得出了它们随Cu表面浓度变化的关系,并对之作出了解释。使用XPS、RBS、TEM三项技术研究了Au在NaCl(100)表面的生长过程,通过计算得出了在不同表面浓度下Au原子团簇的平均高度和表面覆盖率。     

Effects of metal-support interactions on the electronic structures of metal atoms adsorbed on the perfect and defective MgO(1 0 0) surfaces

The electronic structures of Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, and Zn atoms adsorbed on the perfect MgO(1 0 0) surface and on a surface oxygen vacancy have been studied at the DFT/B3LYP level of theory using both the bare cluster and embedded cluster models. Ni, Pd, Pt, and Cu atoms can form stable adsorption complexes on the regular O site of the perfect MgO(1 0 0) surface with the binding energies of 19.0, 25.2, 46.7, and 17.3 kcal/mol, respectively, despite very little electron transfer between the surface and the metal atoms. On the other hand, adsorptions of Ni, Pd, Pt, and Cu atoms show strong interaction with an oxygen vacancy on the MgO(1 0 0) surface by transferring a significant number of electron charges from the vacancy to the adsorbed metal atoms and thus forming ionic bonds with the vacancy site. These interactions on the vacancy site for Ni, Pd, Pt, and Cu atoms increase the binding energies by 25.8, 59.7, 85.2, and 19.1 kcal/mol, respectively, compared to those on the perfect surface. Zn atom interacts very weakly with the perfect surface as well as the surface oxygen vacancy. We observed that the interaction increases from Ni to Pt in the same group and decreases from Ni to Zn in the same transition metal period in both perfect and vacancy systems. These relationships correlate well with the degrees of electron transfer from the surface to the adsorbed metal atom. The changes in the ionization potentials of the surface also correlate with the adsorption energies or degrees of electron transfers. Madelung potential is found to have significant effects on the electronic properties of metal atom adsorptions on the MgO(1 0 0) surface as well as on an oxygen vacancy, though it is more so for the latter. Furthermore, the Madelung potential facilitates electron transfer from the surface to the adsorbed metal atoms but not in the other direction.     

Atomic approximation for alloys and their surfaces

We report a simple, ab initio method for calculating the electronic structure of compositionally disordered alloys. Results are shown for Cu/Ni and Ag/Pd bulk systems, and the first calculations are reported for the surface electronic structure of random alloys, exemplified by {111} surface states of Cu/Ni and Cu/Al alloys.     

LEED structure determination of the Ni(1 1 1)(√3×√3)R30°-Sn surface

Quantitative low energy electron diffraction has been used to determine the structure of the Ni(1 1 1)(√3×√3)R30°-Sn surface phase. The results confirm that the surface layer comprises a substitutional alloy of composition Ni₂Sn as previously found by low energy ion scattering (LEIS), and also shows that there is no stacking fault at the substrate/alloy interface as has been found in (√3×√3)R30°-Sb surface alloys on Ag and Cu(1 1 1). The surface alloy layer is rumpled with the Sn atoms 0.45 ± 0.03 Å higher above the substrate than the surrounding Ni atoms. This rumpling amplitude is almost identical to that previously reported on the basis of the LEIS study. Comparison with similar results for Sn-induced surface alloy phases on Ni(1 0 0) and Ni(1 1 0) shows a clear trend to reduced rumpling with reduced surface atomic layer density, an effect which can be rationalised in terms of the different effects of valence electron charge smoothing at the surface.     

Absolute magnetometry on ultrathin 3d-metal films by UHV-SQUID

Recently a combination of SQUID magnetometry with an UHV chamber and cooling capabilities was developed. This allows us to measure the remanent magnetization in statu nascendi with submonolayer sensitivity. Co and Ni films 2–20 monolayers (ML) thick were grown on Cu(0 0 1) and measured at temperatures between 40 and 300 K. We deduced separately surface and interface magnetic moment contributions by analyzing thickness-dependent moments of Co/Cu(0 0 1) and Cu/Co/Cu(0 0 1). The surface atoms are shown to carry a 32(5)% enhanced moment, while the interface moment is reduced by 17%. For the case of Ni thin films, the magnetization is almost bulk-like. Cu capping reduces the magnetization by 22% at 4 ML film thickness.     

Laser cladding of copper with molybdenum for wear resistance enhancement in electrical contacts

Laser cladding of Mo on Cu has been attempted with the aim of enhancing the wear resistance and hence increasing the service life of electrical contacts made of Cu. In order to overcome the difficulties arising from the large difference in thermal properties and the low mutual solubility between Cu and Mo, Ni was introduced as an intermediate layer between Mo and Cu. The Ni and Mo layers were laser clad one after the other to form a sandwich layer of Mo/Ni/Cu. Excellent bonding between the clad layer and the Cu substrate was ensured by strong metallurgical bonding. The hardness of the surface of the clad layer is seven times higher than that of the Cu substrate. Pin-on-disc wear tests consistently showed that the abrasive wear resistance of the clad layer was also improved by a factor of seven as compared with untreated Cu substrate. The specific electrical contact resistance of the clad surface was about 5.6 × 10⁻⁷ Ω cm².