Epitaxial growth of Au on Ag(110) studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

The epitaxial growth of Au on Ag(110) has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy up to 3 ML. A very consistent "intermixed Stranski-Krastanov" growth mode is demonstrated. Below 1 ML the open structure of the (110) surface allows the Au atoms to be incorporated mainly in the second layer. At higher coverages three-dimensional anisotropic islands of gold are observed. The anisotropic shape, the island density and the transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional growth are discussed. © 1993.