Growth and crystalline structure of Ag layers on Au(111)

The Ag/Au(111) adsorption system was investigated by Auger electron and directional elastic peak electron spectroscopies (DEPES). The change of the Auger peak heights for Au (NVV transition, 74 eV) and Ag (MNN transition, 360 eV) recorded during the continuous Ag deposition show the formation of the second layer before the completion of the first monolayer. Further evaporation leads to the nucleation of islands on the not-completed second layer. The intensity of elastically backscattered electrons was measured as a function of the incidence angle of the primary electron beam to obtain stereographic DEPES distributions at energies Ep = 1.7 keV and 2.0 keV. About 8 ML of Ag on Au(111) raises intensity contrast of the total map and of the particular peaks associated with crystallographic directions proving well ordered Ag(111) overlayer formation. The quantitative analysis of the contrasts for experimental and theoretical DEPES maps, the latter obtained by using the multiple scattering theory, suggests the coexistence of the reconstructed and nonreconstructed domains on the Au(111) surface.