Oxidation of a thin samarium film on iridium

Thermal desorption spectroscopy has been used to study the interaction of oxygen with a thin ($<$ 1 nm) samarium film deposited onto a textured iridium ribbon. Desorption of Sm atoms from Ir surface takes place from various states (chemisorbed, condensed, from compound with iridium, and oxide). The formation of samarium oxide is observed already at room temperature. As the temperature increases to $T$ = 1100 K, a compound of samarium with iridium is formed at the first stage and then oxygen interacts with Sm atoms from this compound and “slow” (compared to the first process) growth of samarium oxide takes place.