2010 Volume 8 Pages 32-37
The adsorption of silver on the Cu(110)-(2×1)O surface was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. For deposition at room temperature the CuO layer is overgrown by a highly stressed and therefore rough silver layer. If the sample is annealed, the oxygen will desorb via formation of temporary Ag-O compounds. At the same time silver will diffuse into the copper bulk. The situation is quite different if silver is deposited at 660 K: For the deposition of up to one monolayer of silver no significant desorption of oxygen is observed by Auger electron spectroscopy. It is found that domains of a Ag rich Ag/Cu alloy and the bare CuO phase are spatially separated. Only upon further Ag deposition, oxygen desorption takes place. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2010.32]
