Electronic structure of the corrugated Cu3N network on Cu(110): Tunneling spectroscopy investigations

The local electronic structure of a submonolayer-thick corrugated Cu3N–Cu(110) network is investigated by low temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy (LT-STS). The corrugation present in the Cu3N network plays a vital role by causing the surface electronic features to vary locally due to different N–Cu bonding. Our studies indicate a work function larger by 0.9 eV for Cu3N compared to bare Cu(110), suggesting the formation of a significant surface dipole. Theoretically predicted various N 2p, Cu 3d hybridized states have been shown and explicitly verified by a combination of constant height and constant current tunneling spectroscopy measurements, thereby providing information about the chemical composition of the N–Cu(110) network.