Formation of NaCl stripes on Cu(100)

Submonolayer growth of NaCl on Cu(100) was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The initial growth is characterized by decoration of step edges and rather strong restructuring of terraces of the Cu(100) surface. Further deposition of NaCl leads to the formation of narrow NaCl stripes oriented along the [011] and [011] directions. For higher coverages, these stripes form regular patterns with a fivefold superstructure. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.