Applied Physics Letters -- August 16, 1999 -- Volume 75, Issue 7
pp. 938-940 

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Step decoration during deposition of Co on Ag(001) by ultralow energy ion
beams

      J. Dekoster, B. Degroote, H. Pattyn, G. Langouche, A. Vantomme, and
S. Degroote 
      Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Celestijnenlaan 200D,
B-3001 Leuven, Belgium 

(Received 6 April 1999; accepted 22 June 1999) 

A possibility for decorating atomic steps on single-crystal surfaces by
using ultralow energy ion beams is reported. Isotopically pure ion beams
are produced by a mass separator and subsequently
decelerated by an electrostatic lens. The lens was designed to allow
sweeping of the ion beam in order to obtain a uniform deposition over a
large area. The preferred sites of single Co atoms on Ag are
investigated with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. A
clear indication is found that by increasing the energy of the deposited
Co to several electron volts, an enhanced Co
decoration of the Ag steps is induced. This technology opens perspectives
for an increasing number of elements which can form self-organized
nanostructures such as atomic wires on vicinal crystal
surfaces. ©1999 American Institute of Physics. 

PII: S0003-6951(99)03533-0 
DOI: 10.1063/1.124560 
PACS: 81.15.Jj, 79.20.Rf, 68.55.Jk, 81.05.Bx