Abstract
Condensation of a thick layer of O2 on Sn at 5 K causes an increase in resistance corresponding to a loss of metallic conductivity by less than 0.1 Å of Sn. The small magnitude must mean that oxygen is initially adsorbed in a molecular physisorbed state since tying up even one Sn conduction electron per surface atom in chemical bonds would cause a resistance increase more than 10 times that observed. When warmed above 13 K the resistance of the oxygen-covered Sn films increases irreversibly with time, a change we attribute to chemisorption. The rate increases with increasing temperature and decreases as a total change corresponding to removal of 11 Å of Sn is approached. Analysis of the data for oxidation thicknesses between 1.5 and 8 Å gives consistent values for an activation energy of 0.035 eV.
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