An Ultra-high Vacuum Variable Temperature Scanning Tunnelling Microscope was used to study the growth mechanism of Antimony on vicinal Cu polycrystalline samples. The STM data after deposition of 0.3 ML Sb at 300°C showed localization of Sb atoms in the vicinity of the step edges illustrative of the Frank van der Merwe type of growth. Kinks provide for the adsorbates a site with a coordination that is higher than for sites at the straight step edge. Thus, kinks act as efficient nucleation sites for the growth of rows during and after growth.
Reference:
Ndlovu, GF, Asante, JKO, Roos, WD and Hillie, KT. The decoration of vicinal copper polycrystalline surface by Antimony. 56th Annual Conference of the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP2011), St George Hotel, Pretoria, 12-15 July 2011, pp 249-253
Ndlovu, G., Asante, J., Roos, W., & Hillie, K. (2011). The decoration of vicinal copper polycrystalline surface by Antimony. SAIP. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6048
Ndlovu, GF, JKO Asante, WD Roos, and KT Hillie. "The decoration of vicinal copper polycrystalline surface by Antimony." (2011): http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6048
Ndlovu G, Asante J, Roos W, Hillie K, The decoration of vicinal copper polycrystalline surface by Antimony; SAIP; 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6048 .
