Influence of the Ce–F interaction on cerium photoelectron spectra in CeOXFY layers

Abstract Fluorine atoms have been reported as an impurity in cerium oxide; however, their influence on the electronic structure and chemical properties is not well understood yet. We show the changes in Ce 3 d photoelectron spectra features induced by fluorine. We introduce a fitting procedure which allows to evaluate the concentration of fluorine in the cerium oxide layer. A correlation between the fluorine concentration and the characteristic Ce–F interaction doublets added to Ce 3 d spectra fits is presented in this Letter. We studied also the interaction of the prepared layers with small doses of CO and O 2 gases at elevated temperatures.