THE GROWTH OF ZIRCONIUM-OXIDE THIN-FILMS ON AU(111) SINGLE-CRYSTAL SURFACES

The deposition on to a Au(111) surface of a few monolayers of zirconium in an oxygen atmosphere at 10(-7) Torr can yield, after a brief anneal at around 1025 K, thin crystalline films of cubic zirconium oxide grown parallel to the (111) plane- These observations quite closely parallel those in a recent report for epitaxial ZrO2 growth on Pt(111), and the samples produced appear suitable for the surface science study of this material. Contrasting growth modes are observed depending on whether or not the substrate is gently annealed during the deposition process. With prolonged heating of the ZrO2 film at 1025 K, or above, there is a decrease in the Auger signals of both Zr and O, and an increase for Au.