Low-energy electron diffraction investigation of epitaxial growth: Pt and Pd on Pd(100)

We investigate the epitaxial growth of Pt and Pd and Pd(100) via spot profile analysis using conventional low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). We resolve a central-spike and diffuse component in the spot profiles, reflecting the layer-occupations and pair-correlations, respectively. Kinetic limitations inhibit layer-by-layer growth at low temperatures. Our data suggest diffusion switches on at ca. 150 K for Pt and ca. 170 K for Pd indicating activation barriers to surface diffusion of ca. 10 and ca. 13 kcal/mol, respectively. To clarify the role of diffusion in determining the resulting film morphology, we develop a growth model that incorporates the adsorption-site requirement and predicts intensity oscillations. We present a new procedure to experimentally determine out-of-phase scattering conditions. At these energies, ring-structure is evident in the profiles during Pd growth between ca. 200 and 400 K. We report ring intensity oscillations as a function of coverage, which demonstrate the filling of individual layers.