Bilayer growth in a metallic system: Au on Ag(110)

Abstract
We report the first observation of a novel growth mode in a metal/metal epitaxy system: bilayer formation in Au overlayers grown on Ag(110). By using medium energy ion scattering to determine the morphology and structure of the overlayers, we find direct evidence that bilayers form spontaneously over a wide range of coverages. We discuss the possible causes of this unusual growth behavior.