Growth of a flat Cr monolayer on Ag(100)

The growth mode of Cr on Ag(100) in the monolayer range has been studied by structure-sensitive methods. The data demonstrate that a flat single Cr monolayer is formed when the substrate temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{S}}$ is kept at 430–450 K during the deposition of one layer equivalent, in contrast with lower (higher) ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{s}}$ where multilayer formation (agglomeration) takes place. The monolayer is stable up to 460 K and electron diffraction at low energies (≤30 eV) reveals a weak but distinct c(2×2) superstructure attributed to two-dimensional antiferromagnetic order.