NUCLEATION AND GROWTH DURING FACETING OF THE PLATINUM-COVERED W(111) SURFACE

Abstract

Low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have been used to investigate the faceting of W(111) as induced by Pt. The atomically rough W(111) surface, when fully covered with a monolayer film of Pt and annealed to temperatures higher than ~750 K, experiences a significant morphological restructuring: the initially planar surface undergoes a faceting transition and forms three-sided pyramids with {211} faces. When Pt is dosed onto the heated surface, the transition from planar to faceted structure proceeds through the nucleation and growth of spatially separated faceted region, as shown by LEEM. STM reveals the atomic structure of the partially faceted surface, with large planar regions, dotted by clusters of pyramids of various sizes.