A blue colored surface observed during high temperature oxidation of aluminum (111)

R. M. Henry, B. W. Walker, Peter C Stair

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The oxidation of the Al(111) surface at 850K under clean, ultrahigh vacuum conditions produces a sapphire blue coloration of the surface. The blue color is observable for oxygen exposures in the range 400L to 3200L. XPS, ELS and LEED measurements indicate that a crystalline aluminum oxide forms on Al(111) upon initial exposure to oxygen and then subsequently grows as islands on the surface. The Al(2p) core level binding energy measured by XPS combined with previously reported soft-x-ray absorption measurements of the Al(2p) core level-conduction band energy separation suggests that the blue color arises from an optically excited electron transfer between the aluminum metal Fermi energy and the aluminum oxide conduction band.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)23-26
Number of pages4
JournalSolid State Communications
Volume42
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1982

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Thermooxidation
Aluminum Oxide
Aluminum
Core levels
Conduction bands
aluminum
color
oxidation
conduction bands
X ray photoelectron spectroscopy
aluminum oxides
Oxygen
Color
Oxides
Ultrahigh vacuum
oxygen
Fermi level
Binding energy
x ray absorption
Sapphire

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Materials Science(all)
  • Condensed Matter Physics

Cite this

A blue colored surface observed during high temperature oxidation of aluminum (111). / Henry, R. M.; Walker, B. W.; Stair, Peter C.

In: Solid State Communications, Vol. 42, No. 1, 1982, p. 23-26.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Henry, RM, Walker, BW & Stair, PC 1982, 'A blue colored surface observed during high temperature oxidation of aluminum (111)', Solid State Communications, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 23-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-1098(82)91021-3
Henry RM, Walker BW, Stair PC. A blue colored surface observed during high temperature oxidation of aluminum (111). Solid State Communications. 1982;42(1):23-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-1098(82)91021-3
Henry, R. M. ; Walker, B. W. ; Stair, Peter C. / A blue colored surface observed during high temperature oxidation of aluminum (111). In: Solid State Communications. 1982 ; Vol. 42, No. 1. pp. 23-26.
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