Studies of an Fe3O4(111) surface by low-energy ion scattering

A single-crystalline Fe3O4 (1 1 1) surface has been investigated by means of a low-energy ion spectroscopy (LEIS) technique with a Ne+ and Ar+ ion beam in the temperature range of 85-300 K. The LEIS results were compared to those on the (0 0 1) surface. The ion-surface collision on the triangular-shaped surface channels differs from that on the squared-shaped one by a less enhancement of the Ne+-Fe peak-intensity at 90 K, an existence of additional peak around 150 K attributed to positive-charged recoil-oxygen ions from the double Ne-O collisions, a larger enhancement of the Fe recoil signal and a specific characteristic of the azimuthal-angle distribution under Ar+ ion bombardments. The large influence of the surface semi-channels on the ion emission yield was explained as due to the screening action of the neighbouring Fe ions. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.