The Surface Structure of Oxides Studied with Reflected High Energy Electrons

Abstract

AbstractReflected high energy electrons have been employed for studying surfaces of single crystal oxides in real and reciprocal space. The techniques used include reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), reflection electron microscopy (REM), scanning reflection electron microscopy (SREM), and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS). These methods have provided much information on surface morphology as well as the atomic and electronic structure of MgO, ∝-Al2O3, ∝ -Fe2O3, SiO2, TiO2(rutile), and ZnO single crystals. Analyses for chemical composition and electronic states are possible using SREM and REELS. Surfaces terminating at different atomic layers of large-unit-cell materials have been determined in REM images and also in REELS data obtained under REM and SREM. Surface modification due to bombardment with the incident electron beam is pronounced on some oxide surfaces. These processes have been investigated with the REM imaging and REELS techniques.