The role of impurities in the stability of ZnO surfaces

Both “as-grown” and “real” etched prism and (000$\text{1}$) oxygen surfaces have been studied by LEED and Auger electron spectroscopy. Heat treatment up to 800 K was sufficient to remove impurities other than calcium on all surfaces and potassium on the polar “real” surface. These could only be removed by ion bombardment. The Ca was associated with a (3 × 1) superstructure on the prism surface and a $\text{(}\text{3}\text{×}\text{3}\text{)}$ on the polar surface. On the “as-grown” polar surface it was also possible to see (3 × 3) structure associated with reduced amounts of Ca. The especially strong binding of the electropositive elements on the negative oxygen polar surface is due to charge transfer, i.e. impurity stabilisation, this in turn can lead to chemical shifts in some of the Zn Auger transitions and to changes in the oxygen peak shape.