Structural transformations on Cu(110) under molecular iodine action

Abstract

Interaction of molecular iodine with the Cu(110) surface is investigated by the methods of ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). It is found that at the coverage θ =0.5 monolayer (ML) iodine forms a simple commensurate c(2×2) lattice. Further exposure of iodine leads to uniaxial compression of the c(2×2) lattice along the 〈110〉 direction of the substrate. The STM data indicate that compression of the iodine layer proceeds through formation of striped domain walls. As the coverage is saturated at θ = 0.63 ML, iodine forms a uniformly compressed quasi-hexagonal structure. Further exposure of iodine on the Cu(110) surface results in growth of a copper iodide film. STM images of thin (7 to 20 A) CuI films reveal, in addition to atomic modulation, a superstructure with a period of 90 to 100 A consisting of double stripes. A structure model of the copper iodide surface allowing for CuI lattice contraction and formation of double stripe domain walls is proposed.