Ultrathin films of Pd on Au(111): Evidence for surface alloy formation

Journal Article · Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.46.7846· OSTI ID:7267301

Koel, B E; Sellidj, A ^[1]; Paffett, M T ^[2]

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1. Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0482 (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Pd ultrathin films on Au(111) have been prepared by vapor deposition and studied over the substrate temperature range 150--650 K using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low-energy ion-scattering spectroscopy (LEISS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). With regard to assessing the growth mode of Pd adlayers on Au(111), AES uptake plots (AES signal intensity versus deposition time) are of limited utility. LEISS data are critical for establishing the surface composition of the deposited film and the existence of alloying. The growth mode of vapor-deposited Pd films on Au(111) at 150 K is described well by an epitaxial layer-by-layer mechanism for the first few layers. However, for Pd deposition at substrate temperatures of 300 K and above, LEISS data taken using 1 keV Ne{sup +} ions indicate surface alloy formation, with the extent of Au interdiffusion increasing with temperature. Other experiments involving annealing monolayer Pd films show interdiffusion (alloying) at temperatures as low as 240 K. XPS data indicate very little ({lt}0.2 eV) or no shifts in the Pd(3{ital d}), Au(4{ital f}), or Pd x-ray-excited Auger ({ital M}{sub 5}{ital VV}) regions as a function of Pd coverage or substrate temperature. We discuss the surface stoichiometry in relation to prior published work on this system, the relevance of this system for studies of Pd monolayer and thin film properties, and our results pertaining to the surface chemistry of small molecule adsorbates on Pd films deposited on Au(111).

• OSTI ID: 7267301
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States) Vol. 46:12; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360102* -- Metals & Alloys-- Structure & Phase Studies
AUGER EFFECT
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISORPTION
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
EPITAXY
FILMS
GOLD
ION SCATTERING ANALYSIS
METALS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
PALLADIUM
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PLATINUM METALS
SCATTERING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SPECTROSCOPY
STOICHIOMETRY
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS