Kinetic processes in the transition from Ag(111) crystallites to ({radical}(3){times}{radical}(3))R30{degree} domains for Ag/Si(111)-(7{times}7)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri 65804 (United States)
- Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)
Kinetic processes in the transition from metastable Ag(111) crystallites to ({radical}(3){times}{radical}(3))R30{degree} domains in the initial growth of Ag on the Si(111)-(7{times}7) surface have been investigated using spot profile analysis low-energy electron diffraction. Upon annealing above 468 K, the number density M(t) of metastable Ag(111) crystallites (deposited at T{sub d}{approximately}333K) is found to decrease exponentially with time t. Simultaneously, the average size of {radical}(3) domains increases as R(t){approximately}t{sup x}, with the exponent x increasing with initially deposited coverage and limited to a range of 1/3{le}x{le}2/5. A theoretical model for this structural transition is established to explain these observations, which is based on a kinetic process driven by the step-edge line tension of terraces in the Ag(111) crystallites. Also, a dissociation energy of an atom from the step edge of a Ag(111) crystallite is determined to be E{sub dis}{approximately}1.38eV. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 565527
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 56, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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