AVS 46th International Symposium
    Surface Science Division Wednesday Sessions
       Session SS1-WeM

Paper SS1-WeM5
Phosphide Phases on Cu(001): a Helium Atom Scattering Study

Wednesday, October 27, 1999, 9:40 am, Room 606

Session: Surface Structure
Presenter: B.J. Hinch, Rutgers University
Authors: L.V. Goncharova, Rutgers University
J. Braun, Rutgers University
A.V. Ermakov, Rutgers University
B.J. Hinch, Rutgers University
Correspondent: Click to Email
PF@sub 3@ and PH@sub 3@ adsorbs molecularly on Cu(001) at low surface temperatures. As these molecules are susceptible to electron induced decomposition; helium atom scattering proves to be a powerful diagnostic tool. On raising the surface temperature competition between desorption and decomposition occurs. Decomposition is complete after annealing to room temperature. A low coverage of phosphorous induces a poorly ordered c(6x8) phase. Subsequent annealing to 500K substantially improves the long range ordering of this structure. For PF@sub 3@ exposures at room temperature, no adsorption is observed. In contrast, PH@sub 3@ adsorbs dissociatively. Under these exposure conditions a c(6x6) phase is observed. Both c(6 x 8) and c(6 x 6) phases display low rainbow angles implying phosphorus incorporation into the surface plane. We shall discuss possible structures for these low-corrugation, phosphorus-in-copper phases.