Two-dimensional nanoscale self-assembly on a gold surface by spinodal decomposition

The structure formation upon spinodal decomposition of a two-dimensional model system, a Au adatom gas on a Au(111) surface, was observed in situ by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A thermodynamically unstable state was prepared by applying microsecond voltage pulses to the STM tip in an electr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review letters Vol. 91; no. 6; p. 066101
Main Authors Schuster, Rolf, Thron, Dominik, Binetti, Marcello, Xia, Xinghua, Ertl, Gerhard
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 08.08.2003
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Summary:The structure formation upon spinodal decomposition of a two-dimensional model system, a Au adatom gas on a Au(111) surface, was observed in situ by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A thermodynamically unstable state was prepared by applying microsecond voltage pulses to the STM tip in an electrochemical system, causing the random dissolution of Au atoms from the uppermost monolayer. Interconnected, labyrinthine island patterns were formed at Au coverages between 0.4 and 0.9 monolayer with dominating length scales lambda(m) of the order of a few nanometers.
ISSN:0031-9007
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.91.066101