R. Bertoncello et al., ANGLE-RESOLVED X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY CONTRIBUTION TO ELUCIDATION OF THE MECHANISM OF CATHODIC DEPOSITION OF AS-SB ALLOYS, Journal of electroanalytical chemistry [1992], 374(1-2), 1994, pp. 37-43
As-Sb alloys were deposited electrochemically onto flat, smooth Ni-pla
ted Cu sheets from aqueous citric acid solutions and analysed by X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and angle-resolved (AR) XPS. Samples
prepared and manipulated in air showed marked surface oxidation of bo
th alloy elements, present as As2O3 and Sb2O3. Oxide-free samples were
obtained when electrochemical synthesis and transfer to the ultrahigh
vacuum XPS chamber were carried out in an inert atmosphere. ARXPS ana
lysis of oxide-free alloy samples obtained at large negative potential
showed an increase in intensity of the As(2p3/2) peak at grazing take
off angles. This result, showing As surface enrichment, supports a pr
eviously proposed kinetic model of As-Sb alloy electrodeposition.