Ag ∕ Pb Te ( 111 ) interface behavior studied by photoemission spectroscopy

We performed investigations on the formation of Ag∕PbTe(111) interface by using photoemission spectroscopy. Upon initial Ag deposition, both Pb 4f and Te 3d core levels and the valence-band edge showed shifts to high binding energy, from which the band bending at Ag∕PbTe(111) is determined to be 0.13eV. Upon further Ag deposition, new components appear in Pb and Te core levels, with intensities remaining constant even at higher Ag thickness. The experimental results, together with ab initio calculation, indicate that both Te and Pb outdiffuse to the outmost surface, and a single Te-terminated Pb–Te bilayer is formed over Ag film on PbTe(111).