Growth morphology and electronic properties of Sn deposited on different InSb surfaces

We present a study of the growth morphology and electronic properties of Sn deposition on ZnSb(111) A-type and ZnSb(110) surfaces, by means of photoemission spectroscopy. Tin grows in a layer-by-layer fashion on the (111) substrate, with a (1x1) symmetry characteristic of pseudomorphic bulk-like Sn(111). A first-ordered monolayer followed by Sn island formation is observed on the (110) surface, and we estimate a fractional area of Sn islands increasing from 60% at two monolayers nominal coverage to about 80% at higher coverages. Both interfaces show the formation of non-metallic Sn adlayer at room temperature, while annealing of a multilayer Sn/InSb(110) produces a light metallic-like response, probably due to Sn clustering. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.