Temperature dependence of step density on vicinal Pb(111)

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.57.15561· OSTI ID:664952

Zhang, Z H; Elsayed-Ali, H E ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529 (United States)

The temperature dependence of step density on the vicinal Pb(111) surface is investigated using reflection high-energy electron diffraction. When the temperature is increased from 323 to 590 K, the average terrace width and the average string length at the step edge decrease from 85{plus_minus}25 to 37{plus_minus}16 {Angstrom} and from 220{plus_minus}33 to 25{plus_minus}8 {Angstrom}, respectively. Thermal step collapse on the Pb(111) surface near its bulk melting temperature is not observed. Above 530{plus_minus}7 K, the change in the string length at the step edge with temperature becomes small, and the intensity of the (00) beam is significantly decreased. We conclude that partial step melting at the step edge occurs at the surface above 530{plus_minus}7 K. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-97ER45625; FG03-93ER45504
• OSTI ID: 664952
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 57; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMDO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
LEAD
MELTING
ROUGHNESS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K