Surface morphology of crystalline antimony islands on graphite at room temperature

Abstract

Antimony islands of different shapes and dimensions were grown on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite ( HOPG) at room temperature in ultrahigh vacuum. Three-dimensional ( 3D) spherical, 2D thin films and 1D nanorods of Sb on graphite were studied using in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy. Sb was evaporated in the form of Sb4, which interacts with HOPG weakly and exhibits a high surface mobility, resulting in preferential nucleation of 3D spherical islands at defect sites. Surface diffusion and aggregation lead to the formation of nanoparticles with various shapes and sizes. The shape and size of islands depend on growth parameters, i. e. flux and deposition time. The 3D and 2D structures of Sb on graphite have the same bulk crystalline rhombohedral (aSb) structure, but the 1D nanorods show a highly compressed structure different from the a- Sb lattice.