Abstract
The surfaces of an iron-210 at. ppm sulfur alloy, Fe7S8 and FeS2 cleaved in an ultra high vacuum were studied by Auger (AES) and electron energy loss Spectroscopy (EELS). The S LVV Auger transition for the intergranular fracture plane of the alloy indicates that the sulfur is bonded to the surface as though it were adsorbed. The loss energies of the transition from valence to conduction bands for the surface are identical to those for the transgranular fracture planes. The trans- and intergranular fracture planes have very similar fine structure in the Fe MVV Auger transition profile. This indicates that the interaction between iron and sulfur is too weak to perturb the electronic structure at the fracture surface. The spectral features of the electron transitions having kinetic energies between approximately 40 and 50 eV are explained by a normal Fe MVV Auger transition and an autoionization process after excitation of Fe 3p electrons. The low spin ferrous ion in FeS2 results in triplet peaks for the Fe MVV transition and doublet peaks for the autoionization event, but similar transitions for Fe7S8 exhibit singlet peak for each process.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 227-239 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1986 Jan 1 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Radiation
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Spectroscopy
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry