Growth of thin Fe/Fe_(2)O_(3) films on the Cu(110) surface

摘要

The growth of Fe/Fe-oxide double-layers on Cu(110) was studied with thermal energy atom scattering (TEAS), Auger electron spectroscopy, and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). An iron film with a thickness of about 0.6 nm was evaporated at low temperature (130 K) on a smooth, well-ordered thin film of Fe_(2)O_(3) prepared on Cu(110). This Fe film is disordered. Ordering of the film was observed at temperatures between 400 and 600 K. At 530 K, a structure corresponding to that of a well-ordered α-Fe(001) surface was observed with TEAS and LEED. Clear evidence was found for a mixing of the Fe and Fe_(2)O_(3) layers at the interface, already beginning at the deposition temperature of 130 K. With increasing temperature, the mixing of the Fe and Fe_(2)O_(3) layers became gradually more effective until, at around 600 K, it was essentially completed. Upon annealing the sample to 1000 K the structure of the film changes and a very thin (less than 2 ML) FeO film on top of the Cu(110) surface is obtained.