Growth and electronic properties of Ag overlayers on stepped Pt(211) surface

Abstract

The growth and electronic properties of ultrathin silver films deposited onto Pt(211) surface were studied using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The AES and LEED results indicate that the silver grows by a layer by layer growth followed by three dimensional islands growth. The XPS results show that the AR 3d core-level binding energy of Ag overlayers on Pt(211) shifts toward lower binding energy relative to the bulk value at lower Ag coverage. This negative binding energy shift of the Ag 3d core level is explained by the reduced coordination number oi the overlayer atoms and the resulting initial state band narrowing effect suggested by Wertheim and Citrin [Phys. Rev. Lett. 1978, 41, 1425].