TY - JOUR
T1 - Islands as nanometric probes of strain distribution in heterogeneous surfaces
AU - Realpe, H.
AU - Peretz, E.
AU - Shamir, N.
AU - Mintz, M. H.
AU - Shneck, R. Z.
AU - Manassen, Y.
PY - 2010/2/5
Y1 - 2010/2/5
N2 - Many of the surface phenomena are driven by elastic energy and elastic interactions. Despite the fact that there are many microscopic techniques with nm and atomic resolution, an established technique to study the distribution of strain on the surface is still lacking. We present a study on the Gd(0001)/W(110) system, in which undulations in the Gd layer are detected by STM. This creates a heterogeneous surface with reduced strains, due to relaxation, on the crests of the waved surface and elevated strains in the troughs. An additional part of the strain is released through Stransky-Krastanov growth of Gd islands. Utilizing a strain-relief model, we show that the island size and shape reflect the strain variations on the surface. Strain maps were calculated, using the island as nanoprobes, with good correlation to the surface topography.
AB - Many of the surface phenomena are driven by elastic energy and elastic interactions. Despite the fact that there are many microscopic techniques with nm and atomic resolution, an established technique to study the distribution of strain on the surface is still lacking. We present a study on the Gd(0001)/W(110) system, in which undulations in the Gd layer are detected by STM. This creates a heterogeneous surface with reduced strains, due to relaxation, on the crests of the waved surface and elevated strains in the troughs. An additional part of the strain is released through Stransky-Krastanov growth of Gd islands. Utilizing a strain-relief model, we show that the island size and shape reflect the strain variations on the surface. Strain maps were calculated, using the island as nanoprobes, with good correlation to the surface topography.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=76249101790&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.056102
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.056102
M3 - Article
C2 - 20366775
AN - SCOPUS:76249101790
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 104
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 5
M1 - 056102
ER -