Synthesis and oxidation of CeN film: an in situ investigation by electron spectroscopies.
Nearly stoichiometric CeN film is synthesized on a Re(0001) substrate in an ultrahigh vacuum system involving highly active N atoms in the growth process, generated by thermal decomposition of NH3 by use of a hot tungsten filament. The electronic structure of the CeN film as prepared is equivalent to that of a single crystal observed by in situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). AES and XPS investigations show that CeN film is directly oxidized to CeO2 after exposure to O2 at room temperature. However, CeN changes into Ce2O3 after annealing in approximately 10(-6) mbar of O2 atmosphere at elevated temperature.
Xiao
Wende
W
State Key Laboratory for Surface Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China.
Guo
Qinlin
Q
Wang
E G
EG