XPS study of the valence band spectrum of amorphous Fe-B alloys

XPS spectra of Fe 3s and Fe 3p levels and Fe 3d valence band of amorphous iron-boron alloys were measured as a function of boron concentration over the range from 12 to 25 at% B. It was found that a characteristic hump appeared at lower energy region in Fe 3d band spectrum of every amorphous Fe-B alloy. The origin of the hump was discussed in terms of the formation of a new bonding state between Fe and B atoms in amorphous Fe-B alloys.