The anomalous RHEED patterns observed from (111)Ag-(111)Cu bilayers

RHEED patterns obtained from thin expitaxial bilayers consisting of Ag grown on smooth (111)Cu surfaces have been shown by Gradmann and Krause to contain anomalous reflections. Previously, these reflections were interpreted as due to a regular arrangement of interfacial dislocations or to multiple diffraction effects. In the present work a thin film technique was used to form smooth, easily detachable (111)Ag/Cu bilayers from which RHEED patterns containing these extra reflections were obtained. These films were grown, annealed, and examined in situ by UHV-RHEED techniques. They were then removed from the vacuum system, detached from their substrates and examined by TEM and TED. Thus, contrary to previous work, the present observations consisted of a series of experiments using RHEED, TED, and TEM carried out on the same specimen. No evidence was obtained to indicate that the anomalous reflections were due to interfacial dislocations. Rather, all the observed phenomena could be explained entirely by multiple diffraction effects.