Anisotropic roughening of vicinally miscut Ag(110): X-ray-reflection profile analysis using the domain-matrix method

Pflanz, S.; Meyerheim, Holger L.; Moritz, Wolfgang; Robinson, Ian K.; Hoernis, H. and Conrad, E. H. (1995): Anisotropic roughening of vicinally miscut Ag(110): X-ray-reflection profile analysis using the domain-matrix method. In: Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 52, No. 4: pp. 2914-2926

Abstract

The roughening behavior of a vicinally miscut Ag(110) surface has been studied with x-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The lateral profiles recorded at different q were analyzed with (a) the domain-matrix method, an evaluation scheme for diffraction profiles, and (b) using a conventional power-law profile shape analysis. Both methods result in a roughening temperature of TR=90020 K (=0.73Tm). The type of the roughening transition is consistent with the predictions of the anisotropic body-centered solid-on-solid (=six-vertex) model with step creation energies of Jx=453 meV and Jy=603 meV along [1»10] and [001], respectively. At low temperatures, a two-component (bimodal) step distribution corresponding to a bunching of steps is identified.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Geosciences > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > Crystallography and Materials Science
• Subjects: 500 Science > 550 Earth sciences and geology
• Language: English