title: Structural transformations in Pb/Si(111) phases induced by C₆₀ adsorption.
abstract: Structural transformations at the Pb/Si(111) surface occurring upon C₆₀ adsorption onto Pb/Si(111)1 × 1 phase at room temperature and Pb/Si(111)[Formula: see text] at low temperatures between 30 and 210 K, have been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction observations. Typically, C₆₀ fullerenes agglomerate into random molecular islands nucleated at the surface defects. C₆₀ island formation is accompanied by expelling Pb atoms to the surrounding surface area where more dense Pb/Si(111) phases form. Productivity of C₆₀-induced expelling of Pb atoms is controlled by surface defects and is suppressed dramatically when regular ('crystalline') C₆₀ islands self-assemble at the defect-free Pb/Si(111) surface. When Pb atoms are ejected by the random C₆₀ islands, extended structural transformations involving reordering of numerous Pb atoms are fully completed at the surface within the shortest possible time (a few dozen seconds) to reapproach and image the surface after C₆₀ deposition. Estimations show that the observed transformations cannot be controlled by random walk diffusion of Pb adatoms, which implies a highly correlated motion of the Pb atom displacements within the layer.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Automation and Control Processes FEB RAS, 690041 Vladivostok, Russia. School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, 690950 Vladivostok, Russia.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Matetskiy
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Bondarenko
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Gruznev
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Zotov
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Saranin
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tringides