In situ study of the film growth for Ag/Cu(100) by magnetron sputtering with AES/LEED

Abstract A magnetron sputtering source mounted in the preparation vacuum chamber of the LAS-600 Surface Analysis System is used to investigate the initial stage of the film growth of Ag on Cu(100) substrate in situ when sputtered particle deposition take places on the substrate. For Ag/Cu(100), the curve of Auger signal (peak to peak height) as function of sputtering deposition time is obtained. It is in good agreement with the characteristics of the Stranski-Krastonov growth mode. An initial atomic monolayer forms followed by three-dimensional nucleation. During annealing, the silver film is unstable and collapses into islands, LEED patterns appeared again after this treatment, but instead of the (1×1) pattern for Cu(100), there are other complicated patterns which require further investigation.