Study of reactive film heterostructures with several interfaces using the thermal desorption spectroscopy

The thermal desorption spectroscopy is used to study the interaction of the chemisorbed oxygen and carbon monoxide molecules with the nanometer-thick ytterbium films that are formed on the surfaces of silicon substrates at room temperature. In accordance with the results at a temperature of 300 K, the O$_2$ and CO molecules are chemisorbed on the surface of a metal film and do not exhibit dissociation to atoms under such conditions. The molecular dissociation is observed at higher temperatures. The liberated oxygen is involved in reactions with ytterbium and silicon that lead to the formation of complicated silicates, which dissociate at even higher temperatures.