Fundamentals of Au(111) Surface Dynamics: Coarsening of Two-Dimensional Au Islands

Au­(111) surfaces play a central role in many applications, yet studies of fundamental aspects of their dynamics are limited. Thus, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at 300 K, we analyze the coarsening of first-layer 2D Au islands directly on the Au(111) substrate and also of second-layer 2D...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of physical chemistry. C 2020-04, Vol.124 (13), p.7492-7499
Main Authors: Spurgeon, Peter M, Lai, King C, Han, Yong, Evans, James W, Thiel, Patricia A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
diffusion
energy
gold
INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
metals
scanning tunneling microscopy
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Summary:Au­(111) surfaces play a central role in many applications, yet studies of fundamental aspects of their dynamics are limited. Thus, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at 300 K, we analyze the coarsening of first-layer 2D Au islands directly on the Au(111) substrate and also of second-layer 2D Au islands. Specifically, we monitor the decay of Au first-layer islands with areas of about 100–500 nm2 in the vicinity of larger islands or extended step edges over a period of approximately 40 h, the relevant time scale for this process. Experimentally observed behavior is captured by analytical theory for terrace-diffusion-limited decay incorporating DFT results for the Au terrace diffusion barrier and the adatom formation energy. Experimental observations of second-layer island decay are also compared with appropriate analytical theory and stochastic simulations, thereby determining the effective Ehrlich–Schwoebel barrier for Au on Au(111).
ISSN:1932-7447
1932-7455
DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b12056