Layer-by-layer growth of Ag on Ag(111) induced by enhanced nucleation: A model study for surfactant-mediated growth

Abstract
It has been reported that the growth mode of Ag on Ag(111), which is usually multilayer (3D), changes to layer-by-layer (2D) growth if Sb is used as a surfactant. In a model study on the clean system Ag/Ag(111) (without any surfactant) we find that two-dimensional layers do grow, if the substrate is prepared with an anomalously high density of Ag nuclei. As an enhanced density of nuclei is also observed in the presence of Sb, this effect may explain the mechanism for surfactant-induced layer-by-layer growth.