IR absorption enhancement for physisorbed methanol on Ag island films deposited on the oxidized and H-terminated Si(111) surfaces: effect of the metal surface morphology

Abstract.

Infrared absorption measurements using a multiple internal reflection geometry are reported for condensed methanol at 90 K on Ag island films deposited on the oxidized and hydrogen-terminated surfaces of Si(111). The attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectra obtained as a function of methanol exposure (up to 14 L) show that a 1-nm mass thickness of Ag island film on the oxidized Si(111) surface yields an absorption intensity 2–3 times larger than the intensity in the absence of Ag on the oxidized surface. Deposition of the same thickness of Ag on the hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surface results in approximately twice the enhancement. The different magnitudes of the enhancement are discussed based on SEM micrographs for Ag island films formed on the oxidized and H-terminated Si(111) surfaces.