Growth of Bi on Cu(111): Alloying and dealloying transitions

We report on the observation of surface alloying and dealloying transitions during the submonolayer growth of Bi on the Cu(111) surface. In-situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) analysis reveals that at low coverage, and for quasi thermodynamical equilibrium, embedded Bi atoms are randomly distributed within the first Cu layer. Near the ideal coverage of 1/3, we observe an ordered BiCu2 substitutional surface alloy. Between 1/3 and 1/2 monolayer a dealloying process takes place where the surface alloy coexists with two different domains of dense Bi overlayer. In order to understand the mechanisms behind this process, the ordered alloy has been used as a template for subsequent Bi adsorption. An apparently etched surface develops during deposition and using STM image analysis, we propose that this growth mode is accompanied by a large Bi and Cu atoms redistribution inside the surface alloy.