Confinement effects on the growth of adsorbates: Interpretation of the formation of monoatomic Ag wires on Pt(997)

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations based on semiempirical description of metal -metal interactions are developed to interpret recent experiments devoted t o the formation of silver wires at the steps of the vicinal Pt(997) surface . The growth mode of Ag on the terraces is discussed as a function of exter nal parameters tied to experimental conditions (coverage, temperature, depo sition flux) and of intrinsic parameters characterizing the lateral interac tions and the properties of the confined surface through the knowledge of A g-Ag and Ag-Pt interactions. According to the external conditions, the grow th mode is shown to obey a row-by-row plus island process or a fractal isla nd formation at the step, in very good agreement with the data of helium at om scattering and tunneling microscopy.