Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 066101 (2003) [4 pages]Two-Dimensional Nanoscale Self-Assembly on a Gold Surface by Spinodal DecompositionReceived 28 February 2003; published 5 August 2003 The structure formation upon spinodal decomposition of a two-dimensional model system, a Au adatom gas on a Au(111) surface, was observed in situ by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A thermodynamically unstable state was prepared by applying microsecond voltage pulses to the STM tip in an electrochemical system, causing the random dissolution of Au atoms from the uppermost monolayer. Interconnected, labyrinthine island patterns were formed at Au coverages between 0.4 and 0.9 monolayer with dominating length scales λm of the order of a few nanometers. © 2003 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.066101
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.066101
PACS:
64.75.+g, 05.70.–a, 68.37.Ef, 82.45.Qr
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