Intermixing at Au-In interfaces as studied by photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract

Interface reactions were observed by means of synchrotron-radiation-induced photoemission during the preparation of Au-In bilayers under UHV conditions at 77 K. These reactions lead to thin amorphous layers with tunable Au content, spanning the same range of compositions as found for vapor-quenched amorphous ${\mathrm{Au}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{In}}_{100\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$ alloys. Most importantly, a significant decrease in the electronic density of states towards the Fermi level is observed in the intermixed phase, giving evidence for a strong mutual influence between the conduction electrons and the ionic structure during layer growth.