| AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Surface Science | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session SS+AS+EN+NS-TuM |
| Session: | Nanostructures, Nanoplasmonics and Surface Reactions |
| Presenter: | Patricia A. Thiel, Iowa State University |
| Authors: | P.A. Thiel, Iowa State University D. Appy, Iowa State University E.J. Kwolek, Iowa State University D. Shao, Iowa State University M. Wallingford, Iowa State University M.C. Tringides, Iowa State University J.W. Evans, Iowa State University Y. Han, Iowa State University H. Lei, Institute of Solid State Physics, CAS, China C.-Z. Wang, Iowa State University |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Graphite, and surface processes on graphite, serves as a valuable benchmark for carbon-based materials such as graphene. We have studied copper and dysprosium on graphite, deposited by an e-beam evaporator in UHV and imaged with STM, to determine the characteristic features of nucleation and growth of metal islands. One of the fundamental questions that arises naturally is whether metal nucleates homogeneously on the terraces or whether it nucleates heterogeneously at defect sites. To answer this question we employ several tools, especially a comparison between high-level van der Waals theory for single atom diffusion, and measured island density. We also present evidence for unexpected metal intercalation at the surface of graphite, after treatment at elevated temperature.