Two-dimensional microstructures of submonolayer Ag on Pt(111) induced by elastic strain

Abstract

The growth of Ag on Pt(111) has been investigated at submonolayer coverages betwen 80 and 1000 K. Below about 550 K large-scale metastable uniformly strained 2D Ag islands grow pseudomorphically. Heating of the submonolayer film or direct deposition of Ag above this temperature leads to the formation of small, ``strain free'' 2D equilibrium structures, possibly heptamers.