Adsorption Properties of the Cu(115) Surface: Basic Interfaces

P.J. Godowskia, A. Grosob, S.V. Hoffmannc and J. Onsgaardd a Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Wrocław, 50-204 Wrocław, Poland b Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, SB-SST CH J2 491 Station 6, Lausanne, Switzerland c Institute for Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Århus C, Denmark d Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Aalborg University, DK-9220 Aalborg Øst, Denmark

Received: December 21, 2009; In final form: April 10, 2010

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The interfaces: K/Cu(115) and CO/Cu(115) have been characterized using surface sensitive techniques, including low energy electron diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy. K adatoms show tendency to occupy the sites close to the step edges. At low temperature (near 125 K), after completion of two layers, potassium grows in 3D islands (the Stranski-Krastanov mode). At higher temperature, e.g. at room temperature, potassium introduces reconstruction of the substrate even at low coverages. Calibration of the alkali coverage, up to completion of the first layer, using the work function changes curve has been confirmed as a very convenient and precise procedure. The adsorbed state of CO at 130 K has been identified by registration of core levels obtained by the use synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy. The characteristics of the main 1s and satellite peaks have been analyzed in context of substrate geometry and compared with the ones of other copper planes. There are no indications of dissociative adsorption of CO, only residual carbon and oxygen were found after adsorbate desorption around 220 K. CO molecules show a strong tendency to "on top" adsorption in sites far from the step edges of the Cu(115) surface.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.117.928 PACS numbers: 68.43.Fg, 68.55.Ac, 61.14.Hg, 79.60.Dp