Structural investigation of Pb adsorption on the (010) surface of the orthorhombic T-Al3(Mn,Pd) crystal

We present a study of Pb adsorption on the (010) surface of the orthorhombic T-Al3(Mn,Pd) crystal at 300 K and 573 K substrate temperatures. This study has been performed using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For depositions at both temperatures, we observed a pseudomorphic growth up to one monolayer coverage. A high mobility of Pb adatoms at 573 K yields an improvement in the structural quality of the film. Our results show that the sticking coefficient of Pb film is either considerably reduced above one monolayer or the formation of large 3-D Pb clusters occur on the surface. Similarities with previous studies will be discussed as both effects, pseudomorphy and the impossibility to grow a second Pb layer, have already been encountered on other approximant and quasiperiodic surfaces.