Photoemission study of the tin doped cerium oxide thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Ce-Sn-O mixed oxide films prepared by simultaneous Sn metal and cerium oxide magnetron sputtering were studied by high resolution photoemission. The analysis showed that the degree of reduction of the cerium oxide depends on the tin concentration in the film.

Ce4+ -> Ce3+ conversion is explained by a charge transfer from Sn atoms to unoccupied orbital Ce 4f(0) of cerium oxide by forming Ce 4f(1) state.

Keywords

• Tin-cerium mixed oxide
• Reduction
• Bimetallic interaction
• Magnetron sputtering
• Photoelectron spectroscopy
• Synchrotron radiation