One-dimensional Ag-Cu superlattices on vicinal Cu(111)

Regular arrays of one-dimensional Ag stripes can be grown by adsorption and annealing of Ag on vicinal Cu(111). The Ag adlayer induces a periodic hill-and-valley nanostructure with alternating Ag-covered (112)-oriented facets and clean Cu stepped areas. The superlattice has been studied as a function of Ag coverage using a wedge (0.34--0.52 monolayers). The width of the Ag stripes is constant across the wedge ({≈}45 {}), such that the wavelength of the hill-and-valley structure varies from 140 {} to 90 {} and the width and step density of the Cu stepped areas is reduced accordingly. The structure of the Ag-covered stripes is consistent with a rotated, uniaxially compressed, close-packed layer that wets the Cu(112) plane.