Abstract
By step fluctuation experiments on V(011) thin films grown on (112¯0) α-Al2O3, using low energy electron microscopy, we determine the coefficient of surface mass diffusion Ds in the temperature range of 1170K<T<1560K, centered near 0.6Tm, with the melting temperature Tm=2183K for V. As is common to annealed V, Nb, and Ta in UHV, submonolayer coverages of O were present on the otherwise clean and well-defined surface. We obtain Ds=0.8exp (−1.43eV∕kBT)cm2∕s for this temperature interval. Compared to Nb(011), the step stiffness obtained from the measurements is relatively small and isotropic at ∼60meV∕nm. Sublimation is made visible by uphill step flow above 1460K, with a temperature dependence consistent with the known cohesive energy.
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