Ordered binary oxide films of V2O3(0001) on Al2O3

Ordered binary oxide films of vanadium oxide have been prepared on an alumi num oxide film supported on Mo(110) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions and c haracterized by various surface analytical techniques. Auger electron spect roscopy, low energy electron diffraction, high-resolution electron loss spe ctroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ion scattering spectroscopy indicate that the vanadia films grow epitaxially on the Al2O(3)/Mo(110) su rface as V2O3(0001). The results of electronic structural measurements show an increase in the energy of the a(1g) level in the 3d band at low tempera tures, which is a possible explanation for the metal-to-insulator transitio n in V2O3 (C) 1999 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-2101(99)02104-1].