A structural model and mechanism for Fe epitaxy on Cu(100)

A structural and mechanistic model for initial room temperature Fe epitaxy on Cu(100) is presented, based on scanning tunneling microscopy data. Changes in Fe atom attachment kinetics with coverage θ yield several growth regimes: Fe incorporation into the surface by atomic exchange with Cu (θ < 0.2), growth of first-layer Fe islands (0.2 < θ < 0.7), and simultaneous layer-1 and layer-2 growth (0.7 < θ < 2). These results reconcile qualitative disparities in previous interpretations of experimental results. © 1994.