Cobalt growth on Cu(111) in the presence of indium surfactant

摘要

The effect of a pre-deposited ultrathin film of indium on the deposition of cobalt on Cu(111) has been studied by an in situ combination of medium energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy. Pre-deposited indium allows cobalt to deposit in layer-by-layer growth, in contrast to the three-dimensional growth observed without the indium surfactant. The surfactant effect is connected to the surface alloys, Cu_(2)In and Cu_(3)In, that form upon indium pre-deposition. Initial cobalt nucleation processes and indium segregation during cobalt deposition are also discussed.