Full multiple scattering analysis of XANES at the Cd L3 and O K edges in CdO films combined with a soft-x-ray emission investigation

X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) at the cadmium L-3 and oxygen K edges for CdO thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition method, is interpreted within the real-space multiple scattering formalism, FEFF code. The features in the experimental spectra are well reproduced by calculations for a cluster of about six and ten coordination shells around the absorber for L-3 edge of Cd and K edge of O, respectively. The calculated projected electronic density of states is found to be in good agreement with unoccupied electronic states in experimental data and allows to conclude that the orbital character of the lowest energy of the conductive band is Cd 5s-O 2p sigma*. The charge transfer has been quantified and not purely ionic bonding has been found. Combined XANES and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering measurements allow us to determine the direct and indirect band gap of investigated CdO films to be similar to 2.4 eV and similar to 0.9 eV, respectively.