title: Evidence for multi-polymorphic islands during epitaxial growth of ZnO on Ag(1 1 1).
abstract: A range of models of free standing and Ag(1 1 1)-supported stoichiometric ZnO films with coverages between 2-3 monolayers are studied using density functional calculations. Following experimental observations we focus on stoichiometric hexagonal and triangular ad-layer islands grown on top of two complete ZnO monolayers. The adlayer islands display distinct edge and corner reconstructions and are found to induce a structural transition extending from the island core to the layered phase below. Based on our results we propose a general model of ad-layer triangular island structure based on seven regions exhibiting four distinct polymorphs.
authors.affiliation: Department de Química Física & Institut de Química Teórica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, C/Martí i Franqués 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Demiroglu
authors.forename: Stefan T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Bromley