X- ray photoemission study of the interaction of oxygen and air with clean cobalt surfaces

The interaction of oxygen with polycrystalline cobalt surfaces has been studied at 300 K (1 × 10^?6 to 1 × 10^?5 Torr) using high-resolution (monochromatized) X-ray photoemission. At high exposures (> 100 L nominal) CoO is identified as the product from the nature of the $\text{Co}\text{2}\text{p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>3</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{, 2}\text{p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{, 3}\text{s}$, and valence band spectra. There is no evidence for measurable amounts of Co₃O₄ or Co₂O₃. Two O 1s features are observed at both high and low (10L) exposures. The dominant O 1s feature at 529.5 ± 0.2 eV corresponds to the oxide and a minor feature at 531.3 ± 0.2 eV is attributed to non-stoichiometric surface oxygen. Exposure to air produces quite different results, with a dominant O 1s feature at 531.5 ± 0.2 eV and dominant $\text{Co}\text{2}\text{p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>3</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ and $\text{2}\text{p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ features centered at 781.3 ± 0.2 eV and 797.1 ± 0.2 eV. These three values are very close to those reported here for bulk Co(OH)₂. Ion etching of the air-exposed surface removes this dominant surface product rapidly revealing some oxide and finally metal.