Auger-electron spectra from boron carbide

Journal Article · Fri Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.31.3667· OSTI ID:6063810

Madden, H H; Nelson, G C

Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) has been used to study the surface composition and electronic structure of hot-pressed samples of boron carbide. The samples had bulk compositions of B/sub 9/C and B/sub 4/C. After removing oxygen and excess carbon contaminants from the surfaces of the samples by noble-ion sputtering the AES estimates of surface B/C ratios were close to those of the bulk for each sample. Using the Auger data as a probe of the valence band (VB) of the samples, the shapes of the B KVV and C KVV lines were not found to be dependent on the stoichiometry of the sample, indicating that the local chemical bonding, respectively, for B and for C does not change significantly in going from B/sub 9/C to B/sub 4/C. Comparisons of the Auger line shapes with site-specific projected VB density-of-states calculations for B/sub 13/C/sub 2/ by Armstrong et al. (Acta Crystallogr. Sect. B 39, 324 (1983)) indicated at least a limited agreement between theory and experiment in terms of the total VB bandwidth. The shapes of the Auger lines indicate that both s and p VB electrons take part in the Auger decays.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185
• OSTI ID: 6063810
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 31:6; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360204* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
BINDING ENERGY
BORON CARBIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ENERGY
SOLIDS
SPECTROSCOPY
STOICHIOMETRY
SURFACE PROPERTIES
VALENCE