Comparative study of metal adsorption on the metal and the oxide surfaces

Adsorption of Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni and Cu atoms at coverage not exceeding two monolayers on the surface of ultrathin (10–15 Å) alumina and magnesia films (γ-Al2O3(111) or α-Al2O3(1000) and MgO(111) grown on Mo(110) were studied in ultrahigh vacuum by means of electron spectroscopy techniques (Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), work function measurements and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS)). At very low metal coverage and low substrate temperature (85 K) when the film can be viewed as consisting of separate adatoms and/or very small clusters the electronic properties of adatoms on the oxide films, on one hand, and on Mo(110) surface, on the other hand, are quite different. With increasing metal coverage, the properties on both the oxide and the metallic substrates change becoming similar at the coverage close to monolayer. On the Mo(110) surface the electronic properties change gradually with the metal coverage, whereas on the oxide there is a critical coverage of about 0.15 ML separating ionic and metallic adsorption of the metal species. It is shown that the lateral interaction of adatoms on the oxide surface plays a dominant role in the formation of the band-like structure of the adsorbed 2D film.