Quantifying the Effect of Step–Step Exclusion on Dynamically Unstable Vicinal Surfaces: Step Bunching without Macrostep Formation

We have measured the terrace width distribution on copper (111) vicinal surfaces with (100) steps. For all surfaces, the distribution is well fitted by a Gaussian. The width of the Gaussian scales with the mean terrace width L, which is indicative of a repulsive 1/L2 interaction potential between steps. We determine an interaction strength of the potential of 3.2± 0.2 meV per atom length. From the temperature-dependent analysis of the step–step distance distribution, we find a kink formation energy for (100) steps of 0.12± 0.03 eV, which is consistent with previous measurements of the kink energy on copper (100) vicinal surfaces.

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Step energies and step–step interactions on vicinal surfaces of Rh and Pd

Surface Science ◽

10.1016/s0039-6028(01)00858-5 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 482-485 ◽

pp. 1413-1418 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

F Raouafi ◽

C Barreteau ◽

M.C Desjonquères ◽

D Spanjaard

Keyword(s):

Vicinal Surfaces ◽

Step Step

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Terrace-width distributions on vicinal surfaces: generalized Wigner surmise and extraction of step–step repulsions

Applied Surface Science ◽

10.1016/s0169-4332(01)00159-3 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 175-176 ◽

pp. 62-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

T.L Einstein ◽

Howard L Richards ◽

Saul D Cohen ◽

O Pierre-Louis ◽

M Giesen

Keyword(s):

Vicinal Surfaces ◽

Terrace Width ◽

Step Step

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Roughening of vicinal surfaces and step—step interactions: application to Cu(1,1,11) by means of statistical analysis of STM images

Surface Science ◽

10.1016/0039-6028(95)00878-0 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 345 (1-2) ◽

pp. 197-212 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

L. Barbier ◽

L. Masson ◽

J. Cousty ◽

B. Salanon

Keyword(s):

Statistical Analysis ◽

Vicinal Surfaces ◽

Step Step ◽

Stm Images

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An Experimental Study of Step Dynamics under the Influence of Electromigration: Si(111)

International Journal of Modern Physics B ◽

10.1142/s0217979297001878 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 11 (31) ◽

pp. 3691-3702 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J.-J. Métois ◽

M. Audiffren

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Electron Microscope ◽

Surface Diffusion ◽

Critical Frequency ◽

Diffusion Field ◽

Step Bunching ◽

Step Motion ◽

Different Temperatures ◽

Step Step

The velocity of monoatomic step motion in the neighborhood of a bunch has been measured in situ using a UHV electron microscope. The width of step bunches at different temperatures and the intrinsic time that lead to step bunching have also been determined. Direct and alternating current were used to heat the Silicon(111) between 1000°C and 1300°C. The results show that the diffusion regime prevails. The asymmetry of the surface diffusion of adatoms is proved experimentally. It is consistent with the adatom electromigration effects. The surface diffusion field under the influence of an electric current can induce an attractive force between the steps. This force balances the step-step repulsive interactions (entropic and energetic) inside the bunch and stabilizes its width. The effective charge on the adatom has been estimated from the critical frequency of AC when the step bunching does not operate. It is around 0.001 electron.

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