Photoelectron diffraction study of the local adsorption site in the Cu(110) (2 × 3)-N structure

Abstract Normal emission scanned energy mode photoelectron diffraction from the 1s state of N adsorbed on Cu(110) to form a (2 × 3) surface mesh is analysed using curved wave double scattering simulations. Much of the main structure of the experimental data can be reproduced by models involving simple overlayer chemisorption but these sites give no clue as to the origin of the (2 × 3) periodicity. A more radical reconstruction model supported by low energy ion scattering measurements is also found to give satisfactory agreement with the photoelectron diffraction data. This reconstruction involves a surface layer almost identical to that found in Cu(110)(2 × 2)-N, with a local structure very similar to that in bulk copper nitride.