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Ammer, Ch., Teichert, Ch., Klaua, M.

Stacking fault analysis by SPALEEED
Physica Status Solidi A 146, pp 205-222 (1994)
Spot profile analysis of low-energy electron diffraction (SPALEED) yields information on stacking sequences of the two-dimensional atomic layers in ABC systems such as f.c.c.(111) materials if non-specular beams with Miller indices h+k not=3n are used. Owing to the small penetration depth of low-energy electrons the evidence of stacking faults is almost restricted to the surface layer. Deeper-lying stacking faults effecting a lateral displacement of atoms with respect to the correct f.c.c. stacking are detected by a constant phase jump of +or-2 pi (h+k)/3 of the scattered electron wave. Applying SPALEED to a carefully prepared Ag(111) surface, which is morphologically characterized by mosaics with a mean misorientation of +or-0.02 degrees and a mean step distance of approximately=80 nm, reveals that approximately=20the layers of atomically stepped pyramids originating from repeated two-dimensional nucleation and effecting multilayer growth. The coverage of terraces with stacking faults, however, only slightly increases up to 25 to 30 % in the deposition range of zero to eight monolayers.