Growth and structure of thin platinum films deposited on Co(0001) studied by low-energy electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy

The growth of platinum deposited on Co(0001) at room temperature in the range of submonolayer coverage is described. The evolution of very thin Pt films has been studied using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The LEED patterns suggested a coherent epitaxial growth mode for Pt on Co(0001). Evidence for an island growth mode has been confirmed by STM together with step decoration. However, the second and third monolayers start growing before the completion of the first Pt layer. The electronic structure of the Pt deposits exhibited original properties with low Fermi level density of states and valence-band broadening. This is in agreement with theoretical calculations presented in this work. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.