GROWTH MODE DETERMINATIONS FOR THE EPITAXIAL CU/PD(111)/MICA AND PD/CU(111)/MICA THIN-FILM SYSTEMS

The growth of Cu on epitaxiaily grown Pd( 111)/mica and the growth of Pd on epitaxially grown Cu( 111 )/mica surfaces were studied with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) under UHV conditions. The results show that epitaxial Cu grows on Pd (111) by a layer mode of growth. However, Pd grows on Cu (111) in three-dimensional clusters on top of an initial approximately three monolayers, i.e., by a Stranski-Krastanov mode. LEED studies showed that in both cases a (1 × 1) pattern was observed with increasing overlayer thicknesses. © 1990, American Vacuum Society. All rights reserved.