Electronic structure of Al2O3 from electron energy loss spectroscopy

The electronic structure of Al₂O₃ has been studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS), and an energy level model of both filled and empty states has been constructed from the ELS and available optical data. For the high temperature pyrolytic α-polycrystalline Al₂O₃ films, the transitions are assumed to originate at the two principal peaks in the valence band density of states and the O(2s) core state, and to terminate on two peaks within the conduction band density of states. We also report energy loss spectra due to excitations out of the deeper Al(2p), Al(2s), Al(1s), and O(1s) core levels. The excitations originating at the Al(2p), Al(2s), and Al(1s) core levels terminate on levels in the conduction band and on an exciton lying about 1 eV below the conduction-band edge.