Effect of bulk resistivity,annealing temperature and illumination on oxygen sorption on CdSe surfaces

The bulk resistivity, annealing temperature and photo-illumination were found to have large effects on the oxygen sorption of the Cd (0001) surfaces of CdSe. For the higher resistivity surfaces, annealing at temperatures below ~ 400°C, no oxygen adsorption was detected. However, if the surfaces were annealed at temperatures above ~ 500°C, a significant amount of oxygen adsorption was subsequently detected at room temperature in darkness. This adsorbed oxygen could be partially desorbed by visible light and almost completely desorbed by UV light. On the other hand, surfaces of very low resistivities were so much more reactive to oxygen that appreciable oxygen adsorption in darkness was detected. This oxygen adsorption was always enhanced by illumination with UV or visible light. Annealing at ~ 550 °C had no significant effect on this photo-adsorptive behaviour. However, annealing at temperatures ~ 500–550°C decreased the diffraction intensity. Based on mass spectrometer analysis, the decrease in diffraction intensity was interpreted as due to diffusion of excess Cd to the surface. The oxygen sorption behaviours of all the surfaces investigated were adequately explained by the existing theories based on charge transfer between the surfaces and the adsorbed oxygen.