Growth of praseodymium oxide on Si(111) under oxygen-deficient conditions

Surface science studies of thin praseodymium oxide films grown on silicon substrates are of high interest in view of applications in such different fields as microelectronics and heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, a detailed characterization of the growth and the final structure of the films are mandatory to achieve a fundamental understanding of such topics as oxygen mobility and defect structure, and their role for the electronic and chemical properties. In this paper, the MBE growth of praseodymium oxide films on Si(111) substrates was investigated at low-deposition rates (0.06 nm/min) and low-oxygen partial pressures (p(O{sub 2})