TY  - JOUR
AU  - Ikonomov, J.
AU  - Starbova, K.
AU  - Giesen, M.
TI  - Island coalescence and diffusion along kinked steps on Cu(001): Evidence for a large kink Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier
JO  - Surface science
VL  - 601
SN  - 0039-6028
CY  - Amsterdam
PB  - Elsevier
M1  - PreJuSER-56025
SP  - 1403 - 1408
PY  - 2007
N1  - Record converted from VDB: 12.11.2012
AB  - Using temperature-variable scanning tunneling microscopy, we studied the coalescence of vacancy islands on Cu(001) in ultra-high vacuum. From the temperature dependence of the relaxation of merged vacancy islands to the equilibrium shape we obtain an activation energy of the island coalescence process of 0.76 eV. From that value we deduce an activation energy for the atomic hopping coefficient of E-rh = 0.89 eV. Comparing our result with previous STM data on step fluctuations with dominant diffusion along straight step segments (E-rh = 0.68 eV; [M. Giesen, S. Dieluweit, J. Mol. Catal. A: Chem. 216 (2004) 263]) and step fluctuations with kink crossing (E-rh = 0.9 eV; [M. Giesen-Seibert, F. Schmitz, R. Jentjens, H. Ibach, Surf. Sci. 329 (1995) 47]), we conclude that there is a large extra barrier for diffusion of atoms across kinks on Cu(001) of the order of 0.23 eV. This is the first direct experimental evidence for the existence of a large kink Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier on Cu(001). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW  - J (WoSType)
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000245065100033
DO  - DOI:10.1016/j.susc.2007.01.004
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/56025
ER  -