ELECTRODEPOSITION OF NI ON CU(100) - AN IN-SITU STM STUDY

In-situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observations on the electr odeposition of nickel on Cu(100) are presented. At overpotentials of e ta = 30 to 100 mV formation of a disordered adlayer of a precursor spe cies is observed. Deposition of pseudomorphic Ni monolayer islands com mences at eta = (145 +/- 5)mV at Cu step edges and in the center of at omically smooth Cu terraces. At overpotentials in the range 145 mV to 180 mV Ni is deposited in a rather rough multilayer growth process, wi th nucleation of second layer islands starting at total coverages as l ow as 0.1 ML. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.