Hollow atom dynamics on LiF covered Au(111): Role of the surface electronic structure

We report on measurements of the hollow atom dynamics on a clean and LIF covered Au(111) surface. The KLL-Auger spectrum arising from grazing incidence 6 keV O(7+) projectiles is monitored as a function of the LiF coverage up to 1 monolayer. As the coverage increases, we observe a strong reduction in the above-surface component of the KLL-Auger emission. The astonishing similarity, with respect to KLL-Auger emission, between a single LiF monolayer on Au(111) and a LiF bulk surface, indicates that the large band gap of the latter is not the limiting factor in the neutralization of highly charged ions. [S0031-9007(98)06822-7].