Growth modes and surface structures of Te overlayers deposited on Au(111) surfaces

The growth modes and surface structures of Te overlayers deposited on Au(111) surfaces have been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The Au(111) single crystal surfaces were formed in situ by vacuum deposition on an air-cleaved MoS(2) at 590 K in an ultrahigh vacuum. The Auger data obtained at 298 K suggest that the Te overlayer grows in the monolayer plus simultaneous multilayers growth mode at an early stage of Te deposition. LEED results show that the first monolayer of Te is arranged with an incommensurate Au(111)-(root 3 x root 3)R30 degrees-Te structure, and that after the completion of the first monolayer, a (3 x 3)-Te structure appears. However, the (3 x 3) structure fades out during growth of multilayers. Furthermore, EELS and LEED results represent that no reaction such as surface alloying is occurring during Te deposition. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.