Electronic and crystallographic structures of silver adsorbed on silicon (111)

Abstract
We show, in this letter, direct relations between the electronic properties of the Ag/Si(111) system as investigated by low energy electron loss spectroscopy (ELS), and the silver growth process as monitored with electron diffraction (LEED, RHEED and TEM) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). At room temperature, where two-dimensional (2D) epitaxial layers are formed, the ELS spectra reveal almost bulk-silver-like transitions for metal overlayer coverage as low as θ ∼ 3. At high temperatures (> 200 °C), where three-dimensional (3D) growth occurs after completion of a first ordered layer, the ELS spectra are similar to those of bulk-silver, but only for high coverage (θ >≈ 30). We discuss also the physical origin of the Ag ELS peaks observed in thin films