Dumont J, Sporken R, Verstraete MJ, Ghijsen J, Gonze X. Demixing processes in AgPd superlattices.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2009;
21:315002. [PMID:
21828587 DOI:
10.1088/0953-8984/21/31/315002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The present scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study describes the growth of silver-palladium heterostructures at room temperature, with ab initio simulations of ordered AgPd phases supporting the interpretation of STM images. First, the growth of Pd on an Ag(111) surface proceeds in a multilayer mode, leading to the formation of a columnar structure. Then, upon Ag deposition on this structure, Ag and Pd partially mix and form a two-dimensional AgPd alloy on top of the columns. Finally, an atomically flat Ag(111) surface is restored, and two-dimensional growth continues. An interpretation of this peculiar growth mode including interfacial alloying is proposed based on thermodynamic and kinetic arguments.
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