Nanopatterning of copper (111) vicinal surfaces by oxygen-induced mesoscopic faceting

We report the preparation of periodic nanostripes on vicinal copper surface s. For the investigated Cu(n,n,n-1) surfaces [n=4,3,2], an oxygen-induced m esoscopic faceting of the regular monoatomic stepped surfaces into periodic nanostripes consisting of Cu(111) and Cu(110)-O(2x1) facets is observed. T he width and thermal stability of these nanostripes increase with the terra ce length of the initial vicinal surfaces. Stripe widths of 50, 20, and 12 nm were obtained for Cu(443), Cu(332), and Cu(221), respectively. Whereas o n Cu(221) the nanostripes disappear above 450 K, they are stable up to 800 K on Cu(443). For the latter surface, the nanostructures are found to be un usually stable and could be observed ex situ by atomic force microscopy und er ambient conditions. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951( 00)01819-2].