Thermal decomposition of a thin AgOx layer generating optical near-field

Thermal decomposition of AgOx thin layers generating optical near field have been studied by Ag L-III edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure. We found that, different from previous assumptions, the starting layer is a mixture of AgO (similar to40%) and Ag2O (similar to60%). We further observed that thermal decomposition starts at a temperature as low as 50 degreesC. The decomposition process exhibits three stages and the oxide layer at intermediate stages consists of a mixture of AgO, Ag2O, and metallic Ag with different fractions of each phase. Activation energies of the decomposition of the thin oxide layer have been determined for different decomposition stages, the obtained values being different from that for powder oxides. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.