In situstructural study of thin-film growth by quick-scanning extended x-ray-absorption spectroscopy

Results of in situ quick-scanning extended x-ray-absorption fine structure measurements during vacuum sputter deposition of thin films are reported. Cu overlayers equivalent to 1--72 monolayers thickness were sputtered onto a substrate. Up to a new monolayers thickness, the Cu seems to form small clusters. At coverages above 38 monolayers, the nearest-neighbor environment remains unchanged, whereas the third- and fourth-nearest-neighbor peaks are still growing: significant structural disorder exists even in the 72-monolayer sample. The changes of the local environment with Cu thickness are also directly visible in the near-edge spectra.