Formation and stability of germanium oxide induced by atomic oxygen exposure

The formation of a stable germanium oxide film obtained upon exposure of Ge(001) surface to atomic oxygen is characterized as a function of the substrate temperature using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Although the atomic oxygen is chemisorbed by forming a mixture of dioxide and sub-stoichiometric oxide species already at room temperature, the best condition to obtain a largely dominant dioxide component is obtained at 300 degrees C. The evolution of the oxide with temperature is investigated by means of annealing experiments. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.