Growth of thin Fe/Fe2O3 films on the Cu(110) surface

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 Fe2O3 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 alpha -Fe(001) surface was observed with TEAS and LEED. Clear evidence was found for a mixing of the Fe and Fe2O3 layers at the interface, already beginning at the deposition temperature of 130 K. With increasing temperature, the mixing of the Fe and Fe2O3 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. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.