Au adsorption on defect‐rich MgO(100) surfaces

The XPS technique was applied to study Au deposition on defect‐rich MgO(100) surfaces in a coverage range of 0.2–5 Au monolayers. Three MgO surfaces were used with increasing concentration of surface defects as determined based on surface composition and modified Auger parameter: air‐cleaved, ultrahigh‐vacuum‐cleaved, and polished. The analysis of the Au 4f core excitation intensities showed 3D‐island growth of Au. The Au 4f binding energy was shown to decrease with increasing Au coverage, with a dependence on the substrate type.