Dynamics of oxygen-induced reconstruction of Cu(100) studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract

Scanning-tunneling-microscopy investigations on the nucleation and growth of the Cu(100)-(2 √2 × √2 )R45°-O structure revealed that the reconstruction is formed by ‘‘squeezing out’’ every fourth [001] surface now of Cu atoms, resulting in the formation of Cu islands which agglomerate at elevated temperature. This growth mode is opposed to the (2×1)O reconstruction on the Cu(110) surface, which involves removal of Cu atoms from step edges. A general picture evolves in which both reconstructions are stabilized by Cu-O-Cu chains directed along the [001] surface direction.