Growth of epitaxial thin Pd(1 1 1) films on Pt(1 1 1) and oxygen-terminated FeO(1 1 1) surfaces

Thin Pd films (1–10 monolayers, ML) were deposited at 35 K on a Pt(1 1 1) single crystal and on an oxygen-terminated FeO(1 1 1) monolayer supported on Pt(1 1 1). Low energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, and Kr and CO temperature programmed desorption techniques were used to investigate the annealing induced changes in the film surface morphology. For growth on Pt(1 1 1), the films order upon annealing to 500 K and form epitaxial Pd(1 1 1). Further annealing above 900 K results in Pd diffusion into the Pt(1 1 1) bulk and Pt–Pd alloy formation. Chemisorption of CO shows that even the first ordered monolayer of Pd on Pt(1 1 1) has adsorption properties identical to bulk Pd(1 1 1). Similar experiments conducted on FeO(1 1 1) indicate that 500 K annealing of a 10 ML thick Pd deposit also yields ordered Pd(1 1 1). In contrast, annealing of 1 and 3 ML thick Pd films did not result in formation of continuous Pd(1 1 1). We speculate that for these thinner films Pd diffuses underneath the FeO(1 1 1).