Critical capture distances for highly charged ions above dielectric covered metal surfaces

We model the first stage of the electronic interaction between an ion and a metal surface covered with a thin dielectric layer. Specifically, we seek to answer two questions. (i) As an ion approaches the surface from far away, does the first electron that it captures originate from the exposed dielectric layer or the metal underneath it? (ii) What is the ion’s distance from the metal when the first electron is captured? To answer these questions, the classical potential that an electron is subject to during the interaction is calculated. The dielectric film is treated as a continuum with simple band structure. We input the parameters from recent experiments (Co with 1.5 nm thick Al2O3 film) and found that (i) the first capture proceeds from the metal, and (ii) the dielectric film extends the distance threshold for first capture compared to a metal with no film. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.