X-ray photoemission studies of the interfacial reactions of Pt and Au on anodic oxide of Hg0.8Cd0.2Te

The metal-oxide interfacial reactions of platinum and gold on anodic oxide of Hg0.8 Cd0.2 Te have been studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the depositions of these metals, which were expected to be inert, reduced the oxidized tellurium in the anodic oxide and extracted the reduced tellurium into the metal overlayer. In the case of platinum, reductions of oxidized cadmium and mercury also occurred. The resultant interfacial structures of gold and platinum on HgCdTe oxide seem to be determined by the kinetics of possible reactions but not by bulk thermodynamic data of the relevant reactants and the most stable reaction products.