Beryllium overlayers on Mo(1 1 2) and Mo(0 1 1) surfaces

Low-energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy and contact potential difference methods have been used to study formation of Be overlayers on the Mo(1 1 2) and (0 1 1) surfaces in the temperature range from T = 78 K up to the beginning of Be desorption. At a coverage θ = 1, where θ is defined as the ratio between concentrations of adatoms and surface substrate atoms, overlayers were found to be pseudomorphic on both the substrates. Various types of close-packed Be structures were observed at θ > 1. Annealing of the Mo samples covered with Be caused not only overlayer ordering, but also a partial solution of Be in the near-surface layer of Mo and creation of a surface alloy. It is inferred that the work function changes, positive on Mo(1 1 2) up to 0.4 eV and negative on Mo(0 1 1) down to − 0.6 eV, are caused mainly by changes in surface roughness while the contribution of polarization of the BeMo adsorption bond seems to be only minor.