This article is cited in 2 papers

Low dimensional systems

Structural stability of stepped nickel surfaces

D. Yu. Usachov^a, A. M. Dobrotvorskii^a, A. Yu. Varykhalov^b, A. G. Rybkin^a, V. K. Adamchuk<sup>a

a</sup> Saint Petersburg State University
^b Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Electronenspeicherring BESSY II, Berlin, Germany

Abstract: The structural stability of stepped Ni(755) and Ni(771) surfaces in the temperature range 20–500$^\circ$C and during adsorption of oxygen and different forms of carbon has been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. A phase transition from the structure with double steps at room temperature to the structure with single steps at a temperature above 350$^\circ$C has been observed on the clean Ni(755) surface. This transition disappears after oxygen adsorption at a temperature above 350$^\circ$C. In this case, the structure on the Ni(755) surface with single steps is stabilized in contrast to Ni(771), which tends to faceting during oxygen adsorption. It has been shown that fullerenes C$_{60}$ form an array of one-dimensional chains at the upper boundaries of steps of the substrate, when they are adsorbed on the Ni(755) surface.

Received: 02.11.2010

 English version: Physics of the Solid State, 2011, 53:6, 1277–1282

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