title: Sublimation of atomic layers from a chromium surface.
abstract: We employ low-energy electron microscopy to study the kinetics of thermal etching, or sublimation, of Cr(001) at approximately 1100 K. Atomic layers are removed from the surface by spontaneous nucleation and growth of two-dimensional vacancy islands, by rotation of spiral steps, and by island decay. The growth rates of vacancy islands and the rotation frequencies of double spirals are measured as a function of temperature, and the results are correlated with activation barriers of surface processes. Mass transport between the surface and bulk is shown to be unimportant.
authors.affiliation: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 104 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801-2902, USA.
authors.forename: S-J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kodambaka
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Swiech
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: T-C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chiang