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Oxidation‐induced nanostructures on Cu{100}, Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} studied by photoelectron spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Lampimäki M.,
Lahtonen K.,
Hirsimäki M.,
Valden M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.2540
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , auger electron spectroscopy , copper , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , transition metal , electron spectroscopy , oxygen , spectroscopy , crystallography , catalysis , nuclear magnetic resonance , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , chromatography , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
Initial surface oxidation and nanoscale morphology on Cu{100}, Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} have been investigated in situ by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray induced Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES) and the inelastic electron background analysis as a function of oxygen exposure at 3.7 × 10 −2 and 213 mbar pressures at a surface temperature of 373 K. Relative Cu 2 O concentrations have been quantified by analysis of the peak shape of the XAES Cu LMM transition. The surface morphology of Cu 2 O islands and the Ag layer has been characterized by inelastic electron background analysis of XAES O KLL and Ag 3d transitions. Oxygen‐induced segregation of Cu, as well as the subsequent Cu 2 O island formation on Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} surfaces, has been investigated quantitatively. Our results indicate that Ag has a clear inhibitive effect on the initial oxidation and Cu 2 O island formation on Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} surfaces. The Cu 2 O islands are also observed to remain highly strained on Ag/Cu{100} even at higher O 2 exposures. The results suggest that strained Cu 2 O islands eventually penetrate through the buried Ag layer, and in conjunction with segregating Cu atoms enable the oxidation to proceed at a similar rate to or even faster than on the unalloyed Cu surface. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.