Growth modes depending on the growing temperature in heteroepitaxy: Au/Ni(111)

Abstract

The growth of multilayers of Au atoms on Ni(111) has been mainly investigated by using time-of-flight-type impact-collision ion-scattering spectroscopy. We found that only two different types of epitaxial growth exist: $\mathrm{Au}[112\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}]\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}\mathrm{Ni}[112\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}]$ (normal mode) and $\mathrm{Au}[1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}2]\ensuremath{\parallel}\mathrm{Ni}[112\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}]$ (reverse mode). Moreover, the relative amount of these two growths show an observed oscillatory dependence on the growing temperature during deposition. It is found that the energetics and dynamics of the second layer of Au atoms control this behavior during deposition.