Electron spectroscopic studies of the initial oxidation of zinc

Abstract

The initial stages of oxidation of evaporated zinc films at room temperature have been studied by means of photoelectron spectroscopy (HeI, HeII and MgK_α) and Auger electron spectroscopy (MgK_α excited). Two oxygen species (BE's 530 and 532 eV) are found to coexist even at the lowest coverages whilst the formation of zinc oxide has been detected at exposures of 100 L oxygen. The results of experiments in which the angle of electron emission from the sample surface was varied provide extra information about the nature of the two oxygen species and reveal a measureable chemical shift between the Zn2p levels in the metal and its oxide.