Surface structure characterization of ultra-thin films of Au deposited on Pd(111)

Abstract Ultra-thin films of Au were deposited on the Pd(111) surface and then characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and X-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) generated by synchrotron radiation. The Au films were deposited at room temperature (300 K) and subsequently annealed at 400 °C (673 K) and 610 °C (883 K). XPD analyses indicated that the gold films were 7 and 6 ML thick, for the annealing temperatures of 400 °C and 610 °C, respectively. The film interlayer distances exhibited an oscillatory behavior, with a 5% contraction between the top and the second layers, a 3% expansion between the second and the third layers, for the film annealed at 400 °C, and a 2% expansion in the interlayer distance between the top and the second layers and a 4% contraction between the second and the third layers, for the film annealed at 610 °C. For both annealing temperatures, the interlayer distances between the third and the fourth layers and between the fourth and the fifth layers exhibited a 1% expansion and a 2% contraction. For the film annealed at 610 °C, XPD results revealed that the Pd(111) surface was covered by Au islands, with some bare patches exposed.