Reversible Shape Transition of Pb Islands on Cu(111)

R. van Gastel, N. C. Bartelt, and G. L. Kellogg
Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 036106 – Published 26 January 2006

Abstract

Using low-energy electron microscopy, we have observed a reversible transition in the shape of Pb adatom and vacancy islands on Cu(111). With increasing temperature, circular islands become elongated in one direction. In previous work we have shown that surface stress domain patterns are observed in this system with a characteristic feature size which decreases with increasing temperature. We show that the island shape transition occurs when the ratio of the island size to this characteristic feature size reaches a particular value. The observed critical ratio matches the value expected from stress domains.

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  • Received 13 September 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.036106

©2006 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

R. van Gastel1,2, N. C. Bartelt3, and G. L. Kellogg1

  • 1Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1415, USA
  • 2Solid State Physics, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
  • 3Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94551-0969, USA

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Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 3 — 27 January 2006

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