Imaging the confined surface oxidation of Ni3 Al(111) by in situ high temperature scanning tunneling microscopy

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
Xinzhou Ma, Sebastian Günther

Abstract

The initial oxidation of Ni3Al(111) was imaged by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at 700-750 K. At 740 K ± 10 K a moiré structure is formed as the major surface phase: high resolution STM data atomically resolve a top hexagonal lattice with a lattice constant of 2.93 ± 0.01 Å aligned or slightly rotated with respect to the substrate. Auger electron spectra acquired from the surface phase identify Al atoms in an oxidic environment together with Ni atoms unaffected by the oxidation of the Ni3Al(111) surface. A special mass balance analysis applied to STM images recorded during formation of the moiré structure allowed to extract the metal content of the surface phase. The moiré phase can be attributed to a single O/Al double layer of α-Al2O3 ontop of the Ni3Al(111) crystal. The surface double layer is laterally expanded by ∼7% with respect to α-Al2O3 and, relating to the next nearest neighbor distance of the substrate of 2.52 Å, it contains 0.73 ML oxygen and 0.49 ML aluminium atoms. The building principle of the surface phase is almost identical to the one of the reported Oi/Ali interface layer of the so called surface oxide, except for its rotational alignment with respect to the substrate as shown in a careful moiré...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

May 5, 2021·Chemphyschem : a European Journal of Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry·Sebastian GüntherJoost Wintterlin

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
scanning tunneling microscopy
electron diffraction
electron spectroscopy
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