Growth of Cr on Ir(1 1 1) studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

We have studied the room-temperature growth of Cr on Ir(1 1 1) by scanning tunneling microscopy. Even in the low-coverage regime, up to a total coverage of 2 monolayers (ML), Cr does not grow in the layer-by-layer mode. Instead, we observe islands with local coverages Θ between 1 ML and 5 ML. While the 1st layer growth is pseudomorphic, sporadic defect lines are observed in the 2nd layer. For Θ ? 3 ML periodic one-dimensional dislocation lines appear indicating the onset of strain relief. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals that islands with Θ = 1 ML exist in two modifications. Though their tunneling spectra are qualitatively rather similar, direct comparison shows that the main peak is shifted by about 15 mV, resulting in peak positions of −0.255 V and −0.270 V. We interpret these two modifications as regular fcc Cr and Cr which exhibits a faulted hcp stacking on Ir(1 1 1), respectively. The assignment of fcc to areas directly attached to substrate steps together with the evolution of the ratio of the different ML-areas with coverage leads to the conclusion that hcp is the more favorable stacking.     

Structure and electronic properties of ultrathin Co films on W(1 1 0)

The structure and electronic properties of ultrathin Co films on W(1 1 0) grown by molecular beam epitaxy in UHV were investigated by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM and STS). For coverages above 0.7 ML the pseudomorphic (ps) monolayer is transformed gradually into close-packed (cp-) monolayer areas, showing up as separated islands that increase in size with coverage until the cp-monolayer is complete. Two different structures of the cp-monolayer were observed by atomically resolved STM, both leading to a 8 × 1 superstructure in the LEED pattern. Higher coverages continue to grow in the Stransky–Krastanov growth mode forming simultaneously double layer islands and triple layer islands in fcc(1 1 1) and hcp(0 0 0 1) stacking. STS reveals tunneling spectra that differ considerably depending on the thickness and on the structure. Two different classes of triple layer islands can be distinguished by a resonant peak at +0.3 eV appearing in only one of the two classes. We attributed this behavior to a different stacking according to a fcc or hcp structure.     

Microstructural aspects of the hcp-fcc allotropic phase transformation induced in cobalt by ball milling

A detailed correlation between microstructure evolution and allotropic phase transformations occurring in Co when subjected to ball milling has been carried out. After short-term milling, the starting mixture of hcp + fcc Co develops into an almost pure hcp phase. However, for longer milling times, plastic deformation introduces large amounts of stacking faults, especially of twin type, in the hcp structure. As a consequence, some of the hcp Co is converted back into fcc and the hcp unit cell is progressively anisotropically distorted. After long-term milling, a steady 'pseudo-equilibrium' state is observed, where all microstructural parameters, including the fcc percentage, tend to level off. However, the milling intensity can still be adjusted to increase further the stacking-fault probability and, consequently, the amount of fcc Co in the milled powders. The results imply that the stacking-fault formation, rather than the local temperature rise or crystallite size reduction associated with the milling process, is the main mechanism governing the hcp-fcc transformation.     

铝和银在铱（111）宽范围吸附的稳定性、原子构型及电子特性研究

利用第一性原理密度泛函理论研究了铝和银在铱的111面的宽范围吸附特性。基于密度泛函理论计算了覆盖度在0.11ML到2.00ML的结构稳定性、原子构型及平均结合能。对于铝原子在铱111面的吸附,最稳定的结构是铝原子覆盖度为0.5ML位于密堆六方空位（hcp-hollow）,相应的结合能为-4.68eV;对于亚层铝原子的吸附,最稳定结构是铝原子覆盖度为1.00ML时位于octahedral位置,相应的结合能为-5.28eV。对于覆盖度为2.00ML的满覆盖度混合结构的表层及亚层吸附,最稳定结构是Al位于六方密堆及八方密堆位置,相应的结合能为-4.70eV。这意味着当铝原子以满覆盖度吸附在铱的111面上时,趋向于在铱的111面的亚层形成化学键,而非吸附于表层。相比于铝吸附在铱111面,银的吸附特性呈现出很大的不同,面心位置更为稳定,在覆盖度为0.25ML时其结合能为3.89eV,略微高出密堆六方位置处3.88eV的结合能。     

铝和银在铱（111）宽范围吸附的稳定性、原子构型及电子特性研究

利用第一性原理密度泛函理论研究了铝和银在铱的111面的宽范围吸附特性。基于密度泛函理论计算了覆盖度在0.11ML到2.00ML的结构稳定性、原子构型及平均结合能。对于铝原子在铱111面的吸附,最稳定的结构是铝原子覆盖度为0.5ML位于密堆六方空位（hcp-hollow）,相应的结合能为-4.68eV;对于亚层铝原子的吸附,最稳定结构是铝原子覆盖度为1.00ML时位于octahedral位置,相应的结合能为-5.28eV。对于覆盖度为2.00ML的满覆盖度混合结构的表层及亚层吸附,最稳定结构是Al位于六方密堆及八方密堆位置,相应的结合能为-4.70eV。这意味着当铝原子以满覆盖度吸附在铱的111面上时,趋向于在铱的111面的亚层形成化学键,而非吸附于表层。相比于铝吸附在铱111面,银的吸附特性呈现出很大的不同,面心位置更为稳定,在覆盖度为0.25ML时其结合能为3.89eV,略微高出密堆六方位置处3.88eV的结合能。     

Electrodeposited cobalt films: hcp versus fcc nanostructuring and magnetic properties

The crystallographic structure and morphology of electrodeposited cobalt films on Au(111) is found to be very sensitive on the electrolyte pH value and on the overpotential applied during deposition. The samples, 2 to 500 nm thick, where characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron diffraction. The latter technique shows that the Co films grow in registry with the gold underlayer, reproducing the Au(111) texture. During the first stage of growth and depending on overpotential and pH value, either continuous hcp Co films or hcp Co islands are formed. Only the latter growth mode leads to an out of plane magnetization with 100% of remanence. Increasing the thickness, fcc Co becomes the prevailing phase. Eventually the fcc to hcp ratio saturates at the same value regardless the overpotential. The thickness for which the equilibrium fcc to hcp ratio is obtained as well as the sample structure and morphology before saturation, depend strongly on the overpotential value. In any case, the predominance of the fcc Co phase leads to an in plane magnetization of the thick samples. This study opens up new opportunities of engineering the properties of electrodeposited cobalt films. Received 29 February 2000 and Received in final form 3 July 2000     

Self-assembly via adsorbate-driven dislocation reactions

Deposition of S onto a monolayer of Ag/Ru(0001) transforms the herringbone pattern of the clean Ag film into a strikingly regular array of 2D-vacancy islands [Nature (London) 397, 238 (1999)]]. Time-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that this nanometer-scale restructuring occurs by a cooperative mechanism involving the sequential formation of triangular regions with fcc and hcp stacking. Using a 2D Frenkel-Kontorova model, we can simulate the creation of these triangular building blocks via basic dislocation motions and reactions.     

Coulomb attraction during the carpet growth mode of NaCl

The submonolayer growth of NaCl bilayer high-rectangular shaped islands on Ag(111) is investigated at around room temperature by using low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. The growth at the step edges is preferred. Two kinds of islands are observed. They either grow with their non-polar edge at the step edge of Ag(111) or the islands overgrow in a carpet-like mode with the polar direction parallel to the edge. In the latter case, the Ag step is rearranged and considerable, while the NaCl layer is bent. This study clarifies the nature of the interaction of an alkali halide nanostructure with a metal step edge.     

Al吸附在Pt,Ir和Au的(111)面的低覆盖度研究

应用密度泛函理论,系统研究了Al原子在Pt(111),Ir(111)和Au(111)表面的桥位、顶位、三重面心立方(fcc)洞位和六角密排(hcp)洞位这四个典型位置的吸附情况. 主要计算了三吸附体系的几何结构、平均结合能和差分电荷密度,并系统讨论了相关原子的密立根电荷布居数和投影态密度.研究发现,对于Pt(111)和Ir(111)表面,Al原子在hcp洞位最稳定,但是对于Au(111)表面,Al原子在fcc洞位最稳定. 关键词： 吸附 密度泛函理论 结合能 电子结构     

New growth mode through decorated twin boundaries

Scanning tunneling microscopy and low energy electron diffraction were used to investigate the growth of partly twinned Ir thin films on Ir(111). A transition from the expected layer-by-layer to a defect dominated growth mode with a fixed lateral length scale and increasing roughness is observed. During growth, the majority of the film is stably transformed to twinned stacking. This transition is initiated by the energetic avoidance of the formation of intrinsic stacking faults compared to two independent twin faults. The atomistic details of the defect kinetics are outlined.     

Island adsorption and adatom diffusion on 3D non-crystalline silver nanoclusters

We report a systematic study of island adsorption and single-adatom diffusion on free silver nanoclusters, and discuss the consequences on the growth. In our calculations, silver is modelled by semiempirical many-body potentials. We consider magic non-crystallographic structures at different sizes: icosahedra (Ih) at 55, 147 and 309 atoms; Marks-truncated decahedra (m-Dh) at 75, 146 and 192 atoms. We calculate the map of adsorption sites and the energy barriers for the different diffusion processes. We find that, due to purely geometrical reasons, medium-size (from 6–8 to 30–40 atoms depending on the cluster) islands on the cluster (1 1 1) facets prefer the hcp stacking on both Ih and Dh structures, while both smaller and larger islands are better placed on fcc stacking. Interfacet diffusion is easy on both Dh and Ih, indicating that large islands are easily grown; in particular, there are multi-atom diffusion processes which allow fast diffusion among the two caps of Dh clusters. For Dh clusters, islands on hcp stacking may lead to the appearance of new fivefold symmetry points, and to the transformation of the cluster into an icosahedron.     

The influence of substrate temperature on growth of para-sexiphenyl thin films on Ir{111} supported graphene studied by LEEM

The growth of para-sexiphenyl (6P) thin films as a function of substrate temperature on Ir{111} supported graphene flakes has been studied in real-time with Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM). Micro Low Energy Electron Diffraction (μLEED) has been used to determine the structure of the different 6P features formed on the surface. We observe the nucleation and growth of a wetting layer consisting of lying molecules in the initial stages of growth. Graphene defects – wrinkles – are found to be preferential sites for the nucleation of the wetting layer and of the 6P needles that grow on top of the wetting layer in the later stages of deposition. The molecular structure of the wetting layer and needles is found to be similar. As a result, only a limited number of growth directions are observed for the needles. In contrast, on the bare Ir{111} surface 6P molecules assume an upright orientation. The formation of ramified islands is observed on the bare Ir{111} surface at 320 K and 352 K, whereas at 405 K the formation of a continuous layer of upright standing molecules growing in a step flow like manner is observed.     

Epitaxial growth of Fe on Au(111): a scanning tunneling microscopy investigation

The epitaxial growth of Fe on Au(111) has been studied with scanning tunneling microscopy. At low coverage the iron nucleates forming polygonal islands whose spacing is determined by the underlying Au(111) zigzag reconstruction geometry. The islands are one atomic layer high and grow laterally with increasing coverage. At three monolayers the coherent (fcc) layer growth is disrupted and a transition to the bee iron structure occurs. We relate our results to published magnetic measurements.     

Stacking faults in ultra-thin films of silver on Al(111) investigated by medium energy ion scattering

Medium energy ion scattering has been used to investigate depositions of 0.2, 1.4, 3.5 and 4.8 ML of silver onto Al(111). Energy profiles indicate alloying to the extent that aluminium is still visible after the deposition of 4.8 ML. From assessments of the visibility, blocking dips and fits using VEGAS simulations it is shown that the first two layers continue the fcc stacking but after that hcp and fcc twin-type stacking faults occur. The 1.4 ML structure is consistent with a mixed structure of 85% fcc and 15% hcp indicating that some silver occupies a third layer. The blocking curve from the structure formed by 3.5 ML equivalent deposition can be simulated by 56% fcc, 32% hcp and 12% fcc twin and that from 4.8 ML by 59% fcc, 23% hcp and 18% fcc twin. This provides direct evidence of the incidence of hcp stacking when silver is deposited onto Al(111) in the range between 2 and 5 ML.     

单晶Cu冲击加载及卸载下塑性行为的微观模拟

使用分子动力学方法对室温下单晶铜沿［001］和［111］方向冲击加载及卸载下的塑性行为进行了模拟,得到了Hugoniot关系以及冲击熔化压力,与实验基本符合. 加载过程中,较高的初始温度有利于位错的形核与发展. 通过对冲击波在自由表面卸载过程的模拟和分析发现：卸载过程呈现“准弹性卸载行为”;沿［001］方向卸载后大量不全位错环与堆积层错消失,而沿［111］方向卸载后只有少量层错消失,部分层错甚至会发展扩大. 关键词： 分子动力学 冲击波 塑性     

单轴应变驱动铁bcc—hcp相转变的微观模拟

用分子动力学方法模拟了沿〈001〉晶向应变加载和卸载情况下单晶铁中体心立方(bcc)与六方密排(hcp)结构的相互转变,分析了相变的可逆性和微结构演化特征.微观应力的变化显示样品具有超弹性性质,而温度变化表明在相变和逆相变过程中均出现放热现象.相变起始于爆发式均匀形核,晶核由块状颗粒迅速生长为沿{011}晶面的片状分层结构; 而卸载逆相变则从形核开始就呈现片状形态,且相界面晶面指数与加载相变完全一致,表现出形态记忆效应.在两hcp晶核生长的交界面易形成面心立方(fcc)堆垛层错. fcc通过在hcp晶粒内     

Si_3N_4/Si表面Si生长过程的扫描隧道显微镜研究

利用原位扫描隧道显微镜和低能电子衍射分析了Si的纳米颗粒在Si3N4 /Si(111)和Si3N4 /Si(10 0 )表面生长过程的结构演变 .在生长早期T为 35 0— 10 75K范围内 ,Si在两种衬底表面上都形成高密度的三维纳米团簇 ,这些团簇的大小均在几个纳米范围内 ,并且在高温退火时保持相当稳定的形状而不相互融合 .当生长继续时 ,Si的晶体小面开始显现 .在晶态的Si3N4 (0 0 0 1) /Si(111)表面 ,Si的 (111)小面生长比其他方向优先 ,生长方向与衬底Si(111)方向一致 .最后在大范围内形成以 (111)为主的晶面 .相反 ,在非晶的Si3N4 表面 ,即Si3N4 /Si(10 0 ) ,Si晶体的生长呈现完全随机的方向性 ,低指数面如 (111)和 (10 0 )面共存 ,但它们并不占据主导地位 ,大部分暴露的小面是高指数面如 (113)面 .对表面生长过程进行了探讨并给出了合理的物理解释     

AlN/NbN纳米结构多层膜的共格异结构外延生长研究

采用射频磁控溅射法制备了NbN,AlN单层膜及不同调制周期的AlN/NbN纳米结构多层膜,采用X射线衍射仪、小角度X射线反射仪和高分辨透射电子显微镜等对薄膜进行了表征.结果表明：单层膜AlN为六方结构,NbN为面心立方结构;AlN/NbN多层膜中AlN为六方结构,NbN为面心立方结构,界面处呈共格状态,其共格关系为c-NbN（111）面平行于h-AlN（0002）面,晶格错配度为013%.热力学计算表明:AlN/NbN多层膜中不论AlN层与NbN层的厚度如何,AlN层均不会形成亚稳的立方AlN,而是形成 关键词： AlN/NbN纳米结构多层膜 共格外延生长 异结构     

Detecting electronic states at stacking faults in magnetic thin films by tunneling spectroscopy

Co islands grown on Cu(111) with a stacking fault at the interface present a conductance in the empty electronic states larger than the Co islands that follow the stacking sequence of the Cu substrate. Electrons can be more easily injected into these faulted interfaces, providing a way to enhance transmission in future spintronic devices. The electronic states associated with the stacking fault are visualized by tunneling spectroscopy, and its origin is identified by band structure calculations.     

Second-layer induced island morphologies in thin-film growth of fullerenes

Deposition of fullerenes on the CaF(2)(111) surface yields peculiar island morphologies with close similarities to previous findings for (100) surfaces of other ionic crystals. By means of noncontact atomic force microscopy we find a smooth transition from compact, triangular islands to branched hexagonal islands upon lowering the temperature. While triangular islands are two monolayers high, hexagonal islands have a base of one monolayer and exhibit a complicated structure with a second-layer outer rim and trenches oriented towards the interior. By developing a kinetic growth model we unravel the microscopic mechanisms of the structure formation.