Abstract
The very early stages of Pb deposition on Si(111)-(7×7) surfaces have been investigated in real time by scanning tunneling microscopy. Variable temperature measurements combined with unusually long periods of imaging time have enabled us to observe that single Pb atoms are highly mobile within each half of the 7×7 unit cell. Individual jumps of single atoms between different half-cells have been resolved as well as the formation of atom pairs as a result. An activation energy of 0.64±0.07 eV has been measured for the diffusion of single atoms between different half-cells. Pb atom pairs are also mobile inside half-cells at much slower rates than single atoms. An activation energy of 0.40±0.04 eV has been measured for this process.
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