GROWTH OF AG ON AN MO(110) SURFACE INVESTIGATED BY RHEED AND SEM OBSERVATIONS

Ag was deposited onto a clean Mo(110) surface in ultrahigh vacuum. The structure and the growth mode of Ag were investigated using RHEED and SEM. With room temperature condensation, the growth of Ag takes place according to the Frank-van der Merwe growth mode. With high temperature condensation above 400°C, the growth of Ag takes place according to the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode, in which the epitaxial relationship of both two-dimensional layers and islands has the Kurdjumov-Sachs relationship. The flat islands with diamond or elliptic shape are grown uniformly on the substrate at temperatures from 400 to 600°C. As the substrate temperature increases, the mean distance of the islands increases. The islands grow preferentially at the macroscopic step and the growth features of the islands are affected by surface contamination. © 1990.