V. V. Cherkez

Epitaxial growth of semiconductor thin films on metals in the halogenation process. Atomic structure of copper iodide on the Cu(110) surface

The atomic structure of thin (7–20 Å) copper iodide layers formed on the Cu(110) surface during a chemical reaction with molecular iodine in ultrahigh vacuum has been studied with scanning tunneling microscopy. A double stripe superstructure with an average period of 90–100 Å was found on the surface of CuI. The structural model is proposed for the copper iodide surface taking into account the contraction of the CuI lattice and the formation of striped domain walls.

Formation of Nanoislands in the Course of Copper Deposition on a Cu(111)-(9 ¥ 9)-Ag Surface

The process of copper deposition on a structured Cu(111)-(9 × 9)-Ag surface, which represents a (9 × 9) loop dislocation network, is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. It is found that, when the substrate temperature is 100 K and the copper coverage is 0.1–0.4 of a monolayer, islands of a size no greater than 50 Å are formed at the Ag/Cu(111) interface. The islands remain stable as the sample is heated to room temperature. The shape and boundaries of the nanoislands follow the initial surface superstructure and are determined by the nonuniformity of the interaction of the upper silver layer with the copper substrate. The mechanism of island formation and the origin of their stability are explained in terms of the atom exchange between the adsorbate and substrate.