TY - GEN A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo A1 - Höcker, Jan A1 - Sadowski, Jerzy T. A1 - Senanayake, Sanjaya D. A1 - Falta, Jens T1 - Nucleation, morphology, and structure of sub‐nm thin ceria islands on Rh(111) T2 - Surface and Interface Analysis N2 - The early stages of ceria growth on Rh(111) at high temperature have been investi-gated by low‐energy electron microscopy and photoemission electron microscopy. Ceria was deposited by reactive Ce deposition at substrate temperatures between 700°C and 900°C in an oxygen ambient of 5 × 10−7 Torr. At 700°C, we observe a high nucleation density of 100‐nm‐sized islands. With elevated temperature, the average island size increases, and the nucleation density decreases. Triangularly shaped islands nucleate preferentially at step edges, with seemingly abrupt interfaces between Ce and Rh. At 900°C, the island edges are still straight, but during growth the islands lose their triangular form. Instead, growth along the substrate step edges becomes favorable, leading to a maze‐like morphology. Atomic force microscopy reveals islands of 0.3 to 0.6‐nm height, consistent with ceria islands formed by one or two trilayers (O―Ce―O) of ceria. Moreover, the second layer of the islands is also triangularly shaped, with lateral dimensions of 50 nm and similar step heights. IV‐LEEM analysis leads to the conclusion that the rhodium surface is covered by a layer of reduced cerium oxide, which is partially overgrown by smaller islands of CeO2. KW - ceria KW - Rh (111) KW - low‐energy electron microscopy (LEEM) KW - photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) KW - IV-LEEM Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/sia.6567 SN - 0142-2421 SN - 1096-9918 VL - 51 IS - 1 SP - 110 EP - 114 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Jugovac, Matteo A1 - Menteş, Tevfik Onur A1 - Genuzio, Francesca A1 - Lachnitt, Jan A1 - Feyer, Vitaliy A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo A1 - Locatelli, Andrea T1 - Sensitivity to crystal stacking in low-energy electron microscopy T2 - Applied Surface Science N2 - In this work we demonstrate the general characteristics of hcp and fcc stacking in low-energy electron reflectivity for transition metal surfaces, by following the restacking during homoepitaxial growth in real-time. For this purpose, the stacking of a model system, single-crystalline Ag islands during layer-by-layer growth at high temperature on O/W(110), is chosen. Multiple scattering calculations are used to model the relation between electron reflectivity and the crystal geometry. The changes in the electron reflectivity are shown to derive from the changes in the stacking sequence of the topmost surface layers. The results allow to distinguish between the hcp and fcc crystalline arrangements at a surface based on typical differences in the reflectivity curves, making the Ag results relevant for a variety of materials with hexagonal surface geometry. In particular, the multiplet structure within the first Bragg peak in the very low electron energy regime is identified with the fcc structure and thus it can be utilized as a fingerprint to determine the stacking sequence. KW - LEEM-I(V) KW - Stacking fault KW - fcc KW - hcp KW - Ag(111) Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.150656 SN - 0169-4332 SN - 1873-5584 VL - 566 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Lachnitt, Jan A1 - Das, Shuvankar A1 - Menon, Krishnakumar S. R. A1 - Mandal, Suman A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - The dependence of structure on thickness of NiO(100) films on Ag(100) studied by IV-LEED T2 - Verhandlungen der DPG N2 - Ultrathin NiO films have prospective applications especially in heterogeneous catalysis, microelectronics, and spintronics and are thus an object of active research. The Ag(100) surface is the usual support for these films, as its cubic lattice parameter is only 2.2 % smaller than that of NiO, which enables pseudomorphic growth at very low thicknesses. We have studied the NiO(100) surface for three thicknesses of the oxide: 2 ML on Ag(100), 20 ML on the same substrate, and a bulk single crystal. We have used intensity-voltage low-energy electron diffraction (IV-LEED) in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. We focus on differences among the three thicknesses, mainly in terms of lattice parameters and surface defects, and our study deepens existing knowledge of the growth of ultrathin NiO films. The IV-LEED calculations have been carried out using the AQuaLEED package, which will also be briefly presented. KW - IV-LEED KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - NiO KW - Ag KW - density-functional theory (DFT) Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.dpg-verhandlungen.de/year/2023/conference/skm/part/o/session/92/contribution/4 SN - 0420-0195 PB - Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft CY - Bad Honnef ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ewert, Moritz A1 - Schmidt, Thomas A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo A1 - Heidmann, Inga A1 - Grzela, Tomasz A1 - Klesse, Wolfgang Matthias A1 - Förster, M. A1 - Aballe, Lucia A1 - Schröder, Thomas T1 - Morphology and Chemical Composition of Co Germanide islands on Ge(001): in-situ nanoscale insights into contact formation for Ge-based device technology T2 - Nanotechnology Y1 - 2016 SN - 1361-6528 SN - 0957-4484 VL - 27 IS - 32 SP - 325705 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bignardi, Luca A1 - Lizzit, Daniel A1 - Bana, Harsh A1 - Travaglia, Elisabetta A1 - Lacovig, Paolo A1 - Sanders, Charlotte E. A1 - Dendzik, Maciej A1 - Michiardi, Matteo A1 - Bianchi, Marco A1 - Ewert, Moritz A1 - Buß, Lars A1 - Falta, Jens A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo A1 - Baraldi, Alessandro A1 - Larciprete, Rosanna A1 - Hofmann, Philip A1 - Lizzit, Silvano T1 - Growth and structure of singly oriented single-layer tungsten disulfide on Au(111) T2 - Physical Review Materials N2 - A singly oriented, single layer of tungsten disulfide (WS2) was epitaxially grown on Au(111) and characterized at the nanoscale by combining photoelectron spectroscopy, photoelectron diffraction, and low-energy electron microscopy. Fast x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the growth of a single crystalline orientation is triggered by choosing a low W evaporation rate and performing the process with a high temperature of the substrate. Information about the single orientation of the layer was obtained by acquiring x-ray photoelectron diffraction patterns, revealing a 1H polytype for the WS2 layer and, moreover, determining the structural parameters and registry with the substrate. The distribution, size, and orientation of the WS2 layer were further ascertained by low-energy electron microscopy. KW - tungsten disulfide (WS2) KW - Au (111) KW - photoelectron spectroscopy KW - photoelectron diffraction KW - low-energy electron microscopy Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.3.014003 SN - 2475-9953 VL - 3 IS - 1 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Luches, Paola A1 - Gasperi, Gabriele A1 - Sauerbrey, Marc A1 - Valeri, Sergio A1 - Falta, Jens A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - Dynamics of the Interaction Between Ceria and Platinum During Redox Processes T2 - Frontiers in Chemistry N2 - The work is focused on understanding the dynamics of the processes which occur at the interface between ceria and platinum during redox processes, by investigating an inverse catalytic model system made of ceria epitaxial islands and ultrathin films supported on Pt(111). The evolution of the morphology, structure and electronic properties is analyzed in real-time during reduction and oxidation, using low-energy electron microscopy and spatially resolved low-energy electron diffraction. The reduction is induced using different methods, namely thermal treatments in ultra-high vacuum and in H2 as well as deposition of Ce on the oxide surface, while re-oxidation is obtained by exposure to oxygen at elevated temperature. The use of two different epitaxial systems, continuous films and nanostructures, allows determining the influence of platinum proximity on the stabilization of the specific phases observed. The factors that limit the reversibility of the observed modifications with the different oxidation treatments are also discussed. The obtained results highlight important aspects of the cerium oxide/Pt interaction that are relevant for a complete understanding of the behavior of Pt/CeO2 catalysts. KW - cerium oxide KW - platinum KW - low‐energy electron microscopy (LEEM) KW - low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) KW - reduction Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2019.00057 SN - 2296-2646 VL - 7 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schmidt, Thomas A1 - Ahrens, Christian A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo A1 - Jaye, Cherno A1 - Fischer, Daniel A. A1 - Falta, Jens T1 - Growth of Epitaxial 3,4,9,10-Perylene Tetracarboxylic Dianhydride on Bi-Terminated Silicon T2 - Journal of Physical Chemistry C N2 - The epitaxial quality of thin films crucially depends on their interaction with the substrate. Up to now, Ag-terminated Si(111) has been employed as the model substrate for the growth of 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on semiconductors. In this study, we will show that Bi termination results in PTCDA films of superior epitaxial quality. We have studied the growth of PTCDA on bismuth-passivated Si(111) in detail by means of spot profile analysis of low-energy electron diffraction (SPA-LEED), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), near-edge X-ray absorptionfine structure (NEXAFS), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The XPS results reveal the presence of intact PTCDA molecules on the surface upon adsorption. NEXAFS data indicate the PTCDA molecules being oriented with their molecular plane parallel to the surface. STM shows a very smooth growth front of the PTCDA film, preserving the step structure of the substrate. High-resolution SPA-LEED data demonstrate the presence of a multidomain surface with a rich variety of PTCDA surface structures, which were identified to be most prominently herring-bone polytypes. However, in the monolayer range, quadratic brick-wall structures and a nearly square-like structure as well as a perylene-like structure have also been found. Despite the simultaneous presence of multiple domains, the individual domains show excellent lateral ordering, with larger domain sizes as compared to the case of Ag-terminated Si(111). KW - dianhydride KW - Bi-terminated silicon KW - spot profile analysis of low-energy electron diffraction (SPA-LEED) KW - X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) KW - near-edge X-ray absorptionfine structure (NEXAFS) KW - scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b10396 SN - 1932-7447 SN - 1932-7455 VL - 123 IS - 12 SP - 7097 EP - 7109 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Buß, Lars A1 - Falta, Jens A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - Intercalation dynamics of sulfur underneath graphene on Ru(0001) T2 - Verhandlungen der DPG N2 - It is known that the binding of epitaxially grown graphene to the substrate has a detrimental effect on its electronic properties. This is especially true for the strong binding to various transition metals and particularly ruthenium. However, via intercalation the interlayer coupling can be lifted and its unique electronic properties can be restored. Therefore, we have investigated the interaction of sulfur with single-layer graphene grown on Ru(0001) via surface segregation and CVD of ethylene under UHV conditions with in situ low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and micro-diffraction (µLEED). At elevated temperature and under dimethyl disulfide background pressure, we observe that sulfur intercalates through the open edges of the graphene islands. Prolonged exposure to sulfur induces wrinkling of the graphene islands, consistent with substantial relief of tensile strain after successful sulfur insertion underneath the graphene. It can be seen that the intercalation dynamics are both dependent on the temperature during intercalation and the preparation method of the graphene sheets. Furthermore, darkfield imaging and µLEED of the intercalated graphene reveal a graphene induced improved ordering of sulfur underneath. KW - low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) KW - micro-diffraction (µLEED) Y1 - 2019 UR - https://www.dpg-verhandlungen.de/year/2019/conference/regensburg/part/o/session/7/contribution/9 SN - 0420-0195 SP - 315 EP - 315 PB - Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft CY - Bad Honnef ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ewert, Moritz A1 - Buß, Lars A1 - Moras, Paolo A1 - Falta, Jens A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - Unraveling the growth mechanism of single-domain molybdenum disulfide on Au(111) T2 - Verhandlungen der DPG N2 - As a transition metal dichalcogenide single-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a heavily investigated system. Due to its direct band gap, the electronic properties of single-layer MoS2 have been subject to several surface science methods. A well-known model system is MoS2 on Au(111). We present in situ low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and micro-diffraction (LEED) observations of MoS2 growth on Au(111) at elevated temperature using two distinctly different deposition rates. Our investigations reveal similar but different expansion mechanisms of the MoS2 islands changing a balanced distribution of the two mirror domains towards a single domain distribution. Structural characterization by I(V)-LEEM and investigations of the electronic bandstructure using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy both confirm single-layer nature of the MoS2 islands. We could identify step pushing of the growing MoS2 being responsible for this phenomena. KW - low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) KW - micro-diffraction (LEED) KW - I(V)-LEEM KW - investigations of the electronic bandstructure using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy Y1 - 2019 UR - https://www.dpg-verhandlungen.de/year/2019/conference/regensburg/part/o/session/35/contribution/6 SN - 0420-0195 SP - 329 EP - 329 PB - Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft CY - Bad Honnef ER - TY - GEN A1 - Mahmoodinezhad, Ali A1 - Pożarowska, Emilia A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - Depth profiling of PEALD-AlN films based on Al2p XPS peak decomposition T2 - Verhandlungen der DPG N2 - AlN has remarkable properties (wide band gap, low electrical and thermal conductivity, high dielectric constant, piezoelectricity) and is attractive for (opto)electronic and sensor applications. However, high oxygen content within nitride films is always a critical issue due to the thermodynamically favorable oxidation against nitridation resulting in deteriorated materials properties. In order to clarify whether the oxidation is a surface-limited or a bulk process elemental depth profiling is essential. In this work XPS in combination with Ar+ sputtering is applied to carry out depth profiling of AlN films prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition using different parameters (plasma source, power and pulse duration). Particularly, the Al2p core levels are analyzed where the signals are decomposed into four components, representing weaker contributions of pure AlN and aluminum oxide phases as well as stronger signals of mixed oxygen-rich and nitrogen-rich phases. After sputtering (providing access to the deeper part of the film) the pure AlN phase content increases while the pure aluminum oxide content stays relatively constant. These issues are discussed with regard to the preparation parameters employed and accompanying XRD and electrical measurements. KW - X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - peak decomposition KW - plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) KW - aluminium nitride (AlN) Y1 - 2019 UR - https://www.dpg-verhandlungen.de/year/2019/conference/regensburg/part/ds/session/14/contribution/25 SN - 0420-0195 SP - 157 EP - 157 PB - Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft CY - Bad Honnef ER -