Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 28: Oxide and insulator surfaces: Structure, epitaxy and growth – Poster
O 28.6: Poster
Monday, March 9, 2026, 18:00–20:00, P2
Oxidation behaviour of nickel on magnesium oxide (001): An in situ study of structural development. — •Tobias Pollenske, Laurenz Hüffmeier, Hannah Hilmer, and Joachim Wollschläger — Inst. of Physics, Univ. Osnabrück, Barbarastr. 7, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
Precise control of nickel oxidation on magnesium oxide (MgO)(001) surfaces under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions is of fundamental importance for understanding metal/oxide interfaces and developing novel materials with tailored magnetic, electronic or catalytic properties. In this study, an approximately 15 nm thick Ni layer was deposited on MgO(001) using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and oxidised in situ at 250∘C, 300∘C and 400∘C under 1×10−5 mbar O2. The structural changes during oxidation were monitored by X-ray diffraction (XRD) near the MgO(002) Bragg reflection. In addition, GIXRD, XRR and soft XPS measurements were performed between the oxidation steps. The results show that structured NiO formation only occurs at 400∘C, while lower temperatures only lead to surface-limited oxidation. The soft XPS data confirm that the Ni surface oxidises almost immediately once a sufficient temperature is reached, with longer exposure to oxygen having little additional effect. Furthermore, the diffraction data show that annealing above 250∘C improves the crystalline order of the Ni film. These combined in situ measurements provide a detailed picture of the oxidation kinetics and temperature-dependent structure development at the Ni/MgO(001) interface.
Keywords: nickel oxidation; MBE; XPS; operando XRD; GIXRD