Direct imaging of surface atomic structure by angular distribution Auger microscopy: the bare Pt(111) surface

Measurements are reported of the angular distribution of Auger electrons from the surface region of Pt(111) by means of angular distribution Auger microscopy (ADAM). The Auger electron angular distribution contains a series of prominent features, the geometric relationships of which are in agreement with the known structure (fcc) and orientation of Pt(111). The results show that the angular distribution of Auger electrons emitted from platinum is determined primarily by scattering from atoms located in the first 10-15 atomic layers. Furthermore, Fourier transformation of the angular distribution data proves to be an effective means by which to extract structure information. Accordingly, measurement of Auger electron emission angular distribution is a useful method for direct determination of surface microstructure.