Surface structure of an ultrathin alumina film on Ni3Al(111): a dynamic scanning force microscopy study

The surface structure of an ultrathin alumina film on a Ni3Al(111) substrate has been studied by dynamic scanning force microscopy. The alumina film exhibits a hexagonal superstructure with a lattice parameter of 4.14 nm and a (1/sqrt[3] x 1/sqrt[3])R30 degrees substructure. Two domains rotated by 24 degrees are present. The film is terminated by a hexagonal lattice of oxygen ions with a lattice parameter of 0.293 nm, which is rotated by 30 degrees with respect to the substrate lattice. The nodes of the 4.14 nm superstructure and the 2.39 nm substructure are pinned on points of the substrate lattice, where the surface atomic lattice is almost commensurable. The oxygen lattice is perfectly hexagonal close to these nodes and disordered in the surrounding regions.