Solid state effects in the Auger spectrum of zinc and oxidised zinc

Measurements of the zinc L_2,3M_4,5M_4,5 Auger spectra are reported. The line shapes in solid zinc are similar to those in zinc vapour but the Auger energies have increased by about 15 eV and the line breadths have broadened from 0.5 eV to 1.0 eV fwhm. The ratio of the L₂:L₃ groups differ from the vapour suggesting that L₂L₃M_4,5 Coster-Kronig transitions occur in the solid but not in the vapour. Changes in the spectra with oxidation have been observed. The Auger lines broaden on oxidation and a line breadth of 3.2 eV fwhm gives the best fit to the spectrum of almost fully oxidised zinc. The oxide L₃M_4,5M_4,5¹G₄ peak progressively shifts from 2.6 eV to 4.2 eV below the metal peak as the oxide thickness increases, the latter value being close to the measured shift in crystalline zinc oxide. Similar energy variation is reported for solid Argon condensed onto clean silver and the shifts are explained in terms of variation in “extra electron relaxation” with film thickness.