HAXPES study of CeO thin film–silicon oxide interface

Abstract Investigation of cerium oxide thin film deposition on silicon and silicon oxide is important due to many possible applications of cerium oxide based micro-systems in electronics and catalysis. rf-Magnetron sputtering is technologically the most suitable method of preparation of such systems. Mechanism of film growth is strongly influenced by interaction of Ce atoms with the substrate and their oxidation by oxygen containing rf plasma. We show using hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with high information depth that cerium is reducing silicon oxide by forming complex silicate phase at the interface with Ce in the 3+ state. For this reason composition of very thin films of cerium oxide is strongly influenced by thin film–substrate interaction. A coating of the silicon oxide substrate by an intermediate thin carbon film provides conductive substrate for electrocatalytic applications and decreases the silicon oxide substrates–cerium oxide interaction essentially.