Electron scattering cross section on the surface of thin ag and au films induced by atomic deuterium adsorption.

Abstract

The electron scattering cross section on the surface of thin silver and gold films induced by adsorption of atomic deuterium under conditions when a single adsorption state is formed was determined. Adsorption of atomic deuterium carried out at 78 K on sintered thin silver (gold) films deposited on Pyrex glass under ultrahigh vacuum conditions was studied measuring the resistance changes DeltaR "in situ". The adsorption runs performed at various exposures were followed by thermal desorption. This allowed establishment of a correlation between DeltaR and the uptake of the adsorbate. BET measurements were performed to determine the real area of the thin films and calculate the density of the adsorbate on their surface. It was found that in agreement with Wissmann's equation1 a linear dependence of DeltaR on the density of the adsorbate nads exists within a large interval of the population (nads < or = 1 x 10(15) D adatoms/cm2 on silver and 7 x 10(14) D adatoms/cm2 on gold) available under our experimental conditions. On the basis of this equation the electron scattering cross section Aads induced by adsorption of atomic deuterium on sintered thin silver and gold films was calculated as reaching 4.75 x 10(-16) and 4.46 x 10(-16) cm2, respectively. A small isotope effect in the electron scattering cross section for adsorption of hydrogen on silver was observed: Aads = 5.48 x 10(-16) cm2.