Iron carbide formation on thin iron films grown on Cu(1 0 0): FCC iron stabilized by a stable surface carbide

Daniel García Rodríguez; Michael A. Gleeson; Jeppe V. Lauritsen; Zheshen Li; Xin Yu; J. W. Hans Niemantsverdriet; C. J. Kees-Jan Weststrate

doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.152684

Iron carbide formation on thin iron films grown on Cu(1 0 0): FCC iron stabilized by a stable surface carbide

Daniel García Rodríguez, Michael A. Gleeson, Jeppe V. Lauritsen, Zheshen Li, Xin Yu, J. W. Hans Niemantsverdriet, C. J. Kees-Jan Weststrate^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Thin iron films evaporated onto Cu(1 0 0) were carburized using ethylene to produce iron carbide surfaces for use as model systems in experimental research. XPS and AES confirm that ethylene dissociation produces a pure iron carbide. A maximum of 0.5 ML carbon can be deposited for film thicknesses below 12 ML where Fe grows as γ-iron (FCC). For thick, BCC-Fe(1 1 0) films, post-treatment with ethylene leads to carbon coverages beyond 0.5 ML where some carbon diffuses into the bulk. The film remains α-iron (BCC) and a different surface carbide with a (4 × 3) unit cell is found. On the thin FCC-Fe(1 0 0) films, carbon reconstructs the surface into a p4g(2 × 2)-Fe₂C layer which has a special stability and acts as a carbon trap that prevents carbon diffusion into the bulk. Fe₂C is thermally stable up to 700 K above which Fe diffuses into the copper substrate while leaving graphitic carbon behind. Carbon segregates to the surface during evaporation of iron on top of an Fe₂C-covered FCC-Fe film and causes the film to retain the FCC structure up to a thickness of at least 30 ML, far beyond 12 ML where BCC-Fe forms on Cu(1 0 0) in absence of surface carbon.

Original language	English
Article number	152684
Journal	Applied Surface Science
Volume	585
ISSN	0169-4332
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.152684
Publication status	Published - 30 May 2022

Keywords

Iron carbide
Iron carbide surface
Low temperature FCC-iron
Synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
γ-iron at room temperature

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10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.152684

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title = "Iron carbide formation on thin iron films grown on Cu(1 0 0): FCC iron stabilized by a stable surface carbide",

abstract = "Thin iron films evaporated onto Cu(1 0 0) were carburized using ethylene to produce iron carbide surfaces for use as model systems in experimental research. XPS and AES confirm that ethylene dissociation produces a pure iron carbide. A maximum of 0.5 ML carbon can be deposited for film thicknesses below 12 ML where Fe grows as γ-iron (FCC). For thick, BCC-Fe(1 1 0) films, post-treatment with ethylene leads to carbon coverages beyond 0.5 ML where some carbon diffuses into the bulk. The film remains α-iron (BCC) and a different surface carbide with a (4 × 3) unit cell is found. On the thin FCC-Fe(1 0 0) films, carbon reconstructs the surface into a p4g(2 × 2)-Fe2C layer which has a special stability and acts as a carbon trap that prevents carbon diffusion into the bulk. Fe2C is thermally stable up to 700 K above which Fe diffuses into the copper substrate while leaving graphitic carbon behind. Carbon segregates to the surface during evaporation of iron on top of an Fe2C-covered FCC-Fe film and causes the film to retain the FCC structure up to a thickness of at least 30 ML, far beyond 12 ML where BCC-Fe forms on Cu(1 0 0) in absence of surface carbon.",

keywords = "Iron carbide, Iron carbide surface, Low temperature FCC-iron, Synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, γ-iron at room temperature",

author = "Rodr{\'i}guez, {Daniel Garc{\'i}a} and Gleeson, {Michael A.} and Lauritsen, {Jeppe V.} and Zheshen Li and Xin Yu and {Hans Niemantsverdriet}, {J. W.} and {Kees-Jan Weststrate}, {C. J.}",

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year = "2022",

month = may,

day = "30",

doi = "10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.152684",

language = "English",

volume = "585",

journal = "Applied Surface Science",

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Iron carbide formation on thin iron films grown on Cu(1 0 0): FCC iron stabilized by a stable surface carbide. / Rodríguez, Daniel García; Gleeson, Michael A.; Lauritsen, Jeppe V. et al.
In: Applied Surface Science, Vol. 585, 152684, 30.05.2022.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Iron carbide formation on thin iron films grown on Cu(1 0 0)

T2 - FCC iron stabilized by a stable surface carbide

AU - Rodríguez, Daniel García

AU - Gleeson, Michael A.

AU - Lauritsen, Jeppe V.

AU - Li, Zheshen

AU - Yu, Xin

AU - Hans Niemantsverdriet, J. W.

AU - Kees-Jan Weststrate, C. J.

PY - 2022/5/30

Y1 - 2022/5/30

N2 - Thin iron films evaporated onto Cu(1 0 0) were carburized using ethylene to produce iron carbide surfaces for use as model systems in experimental research. XPS and AES confirm that ethylene dissociation produces a pure iron carbide. A maximum of 0.5 ML carbon can be deposited for film thicknesses below 12 ML where Fe grows as γ-iron (FCC). For thick, BCC-Fe(1 1 0) films, post-treatment with ethylene leads to carbon coverages beyond 0.5 ML where some carbon diffuses into the bulk. The film remains α-iron (BCC) and a different surface carbide with a (4 × 3) unit cell is found. On the thin FCC-Fe(1 0 0) films, carbon reconstructs the surface into a p4g(2 × 2)-Fe2C layer which has a special stability and acts as a carbon trap that prevents carbon diffusion into the bulk. Fe2C is thermally stable up to 700 K above which Fe diffuses into the copper substrate while leaving graphitic carbon behind. Carbon segregates to the surface during evaporation of iron on top of an Fe2C-covered FCC-Fe film and causes the film to retain the FCC structure up to a thickness of at least 30 ML, far beyond 12 ML where BCC-Fe forms on Cu(1 0 0) in absence of surface carbon.

AB - Thin iron films evaporated onto Cu(1 0 0) were carburized using ethylene to produce iron carbide surfaces for use as model systems in experimental research. XPS and AES confirm that ethylene dissociation produces a pure iron carbide. A maximum of 0.5 ML carbon can be deposited for film thicknesses below 12 ML where Fe grows as γ-iron (FCC). For thick, BCC-Fe(1 1 0) films, post-treatment with ethylene leads to carbon coverages beyond 0.5 ML where some carbon diffuses into the bulk. The film remains α-iron (BCC) and a different surface carbide with a (4 × 3) unit cell is found. On the thin FCC-Fe(1 0 0) films, carbon reconstructs the surface into a p4g(2 × 2)-Fe2C layer which has a special stability and acts as a carbon trap that prevents carbon diffusion into the bulk. Fe2C is thermally stable up to 700 K above which Fe diffuses into the copper substrate while leaving graphitic carbon behind. Carbon segregates to the surface during evaporation of iron on top of an Fe2C-covered FCC-Fe film and causes the film to retain the FCC structure up to a thickness of at least 30 ML, far beyond 12 ML where BCC-Fe forms on Cu(1 0 0) in absence of surface carbon.

KW - Iron carbide

KW - Iron carbide surface

KW - Low temperature FCC-iron

KW - Synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

KW - γ-iron at room temperature

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85123996173&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.152684

DO - 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.152684

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85123996173

SN - 0169-4332

VL - 585

JO - Applied Surface Science

JF - Applied Surface Science

M1 - 152684

ER -

Iron carbide formation on thin iron films grown on Cu(1 0 0): FCC iron stabilized by a stable surface carbide

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