Oxygen chemisorption on Cu(110): An atomic view by scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract

The process of oxygen chemisorption on a Cu(110) surface has been observed dynamically using scanning tunneling microscopy. Nucleation and growth of the chemisorbed oxide layer occur preferentially along the 〈001〉, forming long isolated chains. The buckled-row model is established as the correct description of the Cu(110)-O(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) superstructure with alternate 〈001〉 copper rows displaced outward by 0.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 A\r{} from the first layer.