Ag on Mo(110) studied by AES and STM

作者：Krupski A^*

来源：Surface Science, 2010, 604(13-14): 1179-1184.

DOI：10.1016/j.susc.2010.03.034

• Silver
• Molybdenum
• Auger electron spectroscopy (AES)
• Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM)
• Growth
• Thin film growth
• Metal-metal interfaces
• Low index single crystal surfaces

Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) have been used to investigate the growth behaviour of ultra-thin Ag films on a Mo(110) surface at room temperature. An analysis of AES and STM measurements indicates that three-dimensional (3D) growth of a Ag film is observed. For submonolayer coverage, the growth of Ag is mediated by a two-dimensional step-flow mechanism. During the initial stage of this growth, the first Ag layer nucleates and creates islands (average size of islands is about 180 +/- 20 nm(2)) at Mo step edges. In the monolayer coverage range, the decoration of substrate steps by Ag can be distinguished by the presence of a fractional step of p(1) = 0.86 +/- 0.6 angstrom height at the Ag-Mo boundary. As the sample is post-annealed to 700 K, the morphology of the surface changes. Step-flow growth in this case gives rise to a regular Ag nanostripe network attached to Mo(110) step edges. The corrugation profiles reveal the protrusion of silver nanostripes of thicknesses p(1) = 0.98 +/- 0.16 angstrom and p(2) = 0.39 (+/-) 0.06 angstrom for submonolayer and monolayer coverage ranges, respectively, above each single step of a Mo terrace morphology.

• 出版日期2010-7-15