S. Morin et al., Potential-controlled step flow to 3D step decoration transition: Ni electrodeposition on Ag(111), PHYS REV L, 83(24), 1999, pp. 5066-5069
A novel growth effect, the potential-controlled transition from 2D step-few
growth (-0.69 V-Ag/AgCl) to (i) selective growth of 3D admetal islands at
substrate steps (-0.73 V) and (ii) 3D island growth on-steps and substrate
terraces (-0.85 V), is demonstrated for Ni electrodeposition on Ag(lll). Th
e nucleation and growth process apparently proceeds via direct deposition f
rom the solution at step sites and can be rationalized by a kinetically con
trolled multilayer growth process, where the higher layer nucleation rate i
ncreases more with overpotential than does the 2D growth rate.