6533b7d9fe1ef96bd126d530

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Competition between surface reaction and diffusion of gold deposited onto ZrTe3

H. BöhmAlbert ProdanH. J. P. Van MiddenP. StarowiczJ. C. BennettN. JugF.w. Boswell

subject

Surface diffusionZirconiumDiffusionAnalytical chemistrychemistry.chemical_elementNanotechnologySurfaces and InterfacesSubstrate (electronics)Condensed Matter PhysicsSurfaces Coatings and Filmslaw.inventionsymbols.namesakechemistryTransmission electron microscopylawMonolayerMaterials Chemistrysymbolsvan der Waals forceScanning tunneling microscope

description

Abstract Surface reaction and diffusion of gold, deposited onto the (0 0 1) ZrTe 3 van der Waals (vdW) surface, is studied by transmission electron and scanning tunneling microscopy. It is shown that both processes compete at temperatures as low as room temperature. In case of diffusion the deposited gold mostly disappears from the surface and intercalates into the vdW gaps of the substrate. Residual unreacted gold agglomerates are rather mobile and are often displaced by the scanning tip along the [1 0 0] direction of the substrate. In case of reaction, which usually takes place at somewhat higher substrate temperatures, grains of Zr 3 Te 2 , AuTe 2 and/or Au 2 Te 3 are formed. Contrary to unreacted gold, the reaction products are not mobile.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2003-06-01Surface Science
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0039-6028(03)00559-4