Abstract
Equilibrated three-dimensional Pb crystallites, supported onRu(001) and of about 1 µm diameter, were imaged by scanningtunnelling microscopy at 298-393 K. The top section of thecrystallites exhibited large (111) facets and, depending ontemperature, smaller (112) facets. The vicinal shapes close to(111) were analysed in detail to determine the critical shapeexponent and the step-step interaction energy as well as theinteraction constant of the potential. Analyzing the completeshape in sections of 1° or 3° azimuthal incrementsand averaging over all sections of one crystallite, we found ashape exponent of 1.490. The exponent is very close to thetheoretically predicted universal value of 3/2 and as such clearevidence for the 1/x2 step interaction potential. Severalcrystallites had dislocations threading the (111) facet. Forthose crystallites the step interaction energy was determined as16 meV Å-2 at about 350 K, equivalent to a dipoleinteraction energy of 8.1 meV Å-2 at 0 K. The interactionconstant for the dipole-dipole part of step interaction was foundto be 115 meV Å.
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