REAL-TIME OBSERVATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF SINGLE PB ATOMS ON SI(111)-(7X7) BY SCANNING-TUNNELING-MICROSCOPY

Authors
GOMEZRODRIGUEZ JM SAENZ JJ BARO AM VEUILLEN JY CINTI RC
Citation
Jm. Gomezrodriguez et al., REAL-TIME OBSERVATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF SINGLE PB ATOMS ON SI(111)-(7X7) BY SCANNING-TUNNELING-MICROSCOPY, Physical review letters, 76(5), 1996, pp. 799-802
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
Physical review letters → ACNP
ISSN journal
00319007
Volume
76
Issue
5
Year of publication
1996
Pages
799 - 802
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-9007(1996)76:5<799:ROOTDO>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
The very early stages of Pb deposition on Si(111)-(7 x 7) surfaces hav e been investigated in real time by scanning tunneling microscopy. The combination of variable temperature scanning with unusual very long p eriods of imaging time have enabled us to observe that single Pb atoms are highly mobile within each half (7 x 7) unit cell. Individual jump s of single atoms between different half cells have been resolved as w ell as the formation of atom pairs as a result. An activation energy o f 0.64 +/- 0.07 eV has been measured for the diffusion of single atoms between different half cells.