A SPALEED structural study of lead adsorption on stepped copper surfaces Cu(211) and Cu(511)

The structure of thin films of Pb deposited on the stepped surfaces of Cu(211) and Cu(511) has been investigated by spot profile analysis low energy electron diffraction (SPALEED). For both substrates Stranski-Krastanov growth (layer by layer growth followed by island formation) has been found at 300 K which is dominated by the anisotropy of the substrate. At submonolayer coverages lead forms dense packed linear chains which are compressed by 3% compared to bulk lead on both surfaces. Annealing the lead-covered surfaces at 600 K causes a reconstruction in which the size of the surface terraces grows by a factor of 8/3. Furthermore at lead-coverages of greater than one ML the annealed Pb/Cu(511) surface shows a ''checker''-pattern diffraction pattern that can be interpreted as arising from domains of a c(2 x 2) structure on the rather large (100) terraces of the reconstructed surface.