An experimental verification of the theory of surface roughening from a quantitative STM study

M. S. Hoogeman; M. A.J. Klik; D. C. Schlößer; L. Kuipers; J. W.M. Frenken

doi:10.1016/S0039-6028(99)01168-1

An experimental verification of the theory of surface roughening from a quantitative STM study

M. S. Hoogeman
, M. A.J. Klik
, D. C. Schlößer
, L. Kuipers
, J. W.M. Frenken^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The roughening transition on the vicinal Ag(115) surface is investigated by variable-temperature STM. We make use of pattern recognition on the STM images to quantify the height fluctuations. Although the height correlation function is expected to remain finite below the roughening temperature T_R and to diverge logarithmically above T_R, the measured height correlation function diverges linearly at all addressed temperatures. This unexpected behaviour is shown to be due to the effect of small errors in local surface orientation. We can remove this effect from the height correlation function by an automatic procedure, which selects regions in each image with the proper surface orientation. On the basis of a quantitative analysis of the height correlation function measured on these parts, we conclude that the vicinal Ag(115) surface undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless type roughening transition at a temperature of T_R=465±25 K.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	142-154
Number of pages	13
Journal	Surface Science
Volume	448
Issue number	2-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0039-6028(99)01168-1
Publication status	Published - 10-Mar-2000
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Scanning tunneling microscopy
Silver
Stepped single crystal surfaces
Surface roughening
Surface thermodynamics (including phase transitions)
Vicinal single crystal surfaces

Access to Document

10.1016/S0039-6028(99)01168-1

Handle.net

Persistent link

Cite this

@article{a49917b4875542a789abf523a8133a38,

title = "An experimental verification of the theory of surface roughening from a quantitative STM study",

abstract = "The roughening transition on the vicinal Ag(115) surface is investigated by variable-temperature STM. We make use of pattern recognition on the STM images to quantify the height fluctuations. Although the height correlation function is expected to remain finite below the roughening temperature TR and to diverge logarithmically above TR, the measured height correlation function diverges linearly at all addressed temperatures. This unexpected behaviour is shown to be due to the effect of small errors in local surface orientation. We can remove this effect from the height correlation function by an automatic procedure, which selects regions in each image with the proper surface orientation. On the basis of a quantitative analysis of the height correlation function measured on these parts, we conclude that the vicinal Ag(115) surface undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless type roughening transition at a temperature of TR=465±25 K.",

keywords = "Scanning tunneling microscopy, Silver, Stepped single crystal surfaces, Surface roughening, Surface thermodynamics (including phase transitions), Vicinal single crystal surfaces",

author = "Hoogeman, \{M. S.\} and Klik, \{M. A.J.\} and Schl{\"o}{\ss}er, \{D. C.\} and L. Kuipers and Frenken, \{J. W.M.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully thank L. Barbier for helpful discussions. We thank S.A. de Vries and H. van Beijeren for a critical reading of the manuscript. The authors acknowledge R.J.I.M. Koper (Surface Preparation Laboratory, Zaandam, The Netherlands) for the preparation of the Ag(115) sample. This work is part of the research program of the {\textquoteleft}Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM){\textquoteright}, which is financially supported by the {\textquoteleft}Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijke Onderzoek (NWO){\textquoteright}. ",

year = "2000",

month = mar,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1016/S0039-6028(99)01168-1",

language = "English",

volume = "448",

pages = "142--154",

journal = "Surface Science",

issn = "0039-6028",

publisher = "ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV",

number = "2-3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - An experimental verification of the theory of surface roughening from a quantitative STM study

AU - Hoogeman, M. S.

AU - Klik, M. A.J.

AU - Schlößer, D. C.

AU - Kuipers, L.

AU - Frenken, J. W.M.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors gratefully thank L. Barbier for helpful discussions. We thank S.A. de Vries and H. van Beijeren for a critical reading of the manuscript. The authors acknowledge R.J.I.M. Koper (Surface Preparation Laboratory, Zaandam, The Netherlands) for the preparation of the Ag(115) sample. This work is part of the research program of the ‘Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM)’, which is financially supported by the ‘Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijke Onderzoek (NWO)’.

PY - 2000/3/10

Y1 - 2000/3/10

N2 - The roughening transition on the vicinal Ag(115) surface is investigated by variable-temperature STM. We make use of pattern recognition on the STM images to quantify the height fluctuations. Although the height correlation function is expected to remain finite below the roughening temperature TR and to diverge logarithmically above TR, the measured height correlation function diverges linearly at all addressed temperatures. This unexpected behaviour is shown to be due to the effect of small errors in local surface orientation. We can remove this effect from the height correlation function by an automatic procedure, which selects regions in each image with the proper surface orientation. On the basis of a quantitative analysis of the height correlation function measured on these parts, we conclude that the vicinal Ag(115) surface undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless type roughening transition at a temperature of TR=465±25 K.

AB - The roughening transition on the vicinal Ag(115) surface is investigated by variable-temperature STM. We make use of pattern recognition on the STM images to quantify the height fluctuations. Although the height correlation function is expected to remain finite below the roughening temperature TR and to diverge logarithmically above TR, the measured height correlation function diverges linearly at all addressed temperatures. This unexpected behaviour is shown to be due to the effect of small errors in local surface orientation. We can remove this effect from the height correlation function by an automatic procedure, which selects regions in each image with the proper surface orientation. On the basis of a quantitative analysis of the height correlation function measured on these parts, we conclude that the vicinal Ag(115) surface undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless type roughening transition at a temperature of TR=465±25 K.

KW - Scanning tunneling microscopy

KW - Silver

KW - Stepped single crystal surfaces

KW - Surface roughening

KW - Surface thermodynamics (including phase transitions)

KW - Vicinal single crystal surfaces

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0033877245

U2 - 10.1016/S0039-6028(99)01168-1

DO - 10.1016/S0039-6028(99)01168-1

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0033877245

SN - 0039-6028

VL - 448

SP - 142

EP - 154

JO - Surface Science

JF - Surface Science

IS - 2-3

ER -

An experimental verification of the theory of surface roughening from a quantitative STM study

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Handle.net

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this