From bilayer to monolayer growth: Temperature effects in the growth of Ru on Pt(1 1 1)

At temperatures around 373 K, Ru growth on Pt(1 1 1) proceeds via nucleation and growth of bilayer islands [H.E. Hoster et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 3 (2001) 337]. The influence of the deposition temperature on the Ru growth behavior on Pt(1 1 1) was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) in the temperature range between 303 and 773 K. The data reveal a distinct change in the growth characteristics, most important the change from the growth of bilayer Ru islands to monolayer islands, at temperatures between 523 and 573 K. Based on AES data and on atomic resolution STM images, these changes are associated with the onset and increasing contribution of surface alloy formation via Pt–Ru exchange and, at T > 673 K, alloy formation in near surface regions. Consequences of these data for the mechanism of bilayer growth and the underlying physical origin are discussed.