The vacuum ultraviolet photochemical oxidation of
normalGaAs
by
N2O
(wavelengths of 2537 and 1849Å) was studied by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We believe the model most consistent with our data involves (i) adsorption of molecular
N2O
, (ii) dissociation of the
N2O
on the surface, and (iii) oxidation of the surface by the adsorbed O atoms. The temperature dependence of the overall reaction on the stoichiometric surface is dominated by the temperature dependence of adsorption of
N2O
. An As‐rich surface oxidizes more slowly, and the reaction saturates; in this case, the rate‐limiting step and the cause of saturation is the oxidation of the surface by adsorbed O atoms. The As‐covered surface does not present the proper sites (As atoms surrounded by Ga atoms) for fast, continued oxidation of
normalGaAs
.