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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Atomically Defined Templates for Epitaxial Growth of Complex Oxide Thin Films
Published on: December 4, 2014
Self-organized formation of rhomboidal nanopyramids on fcc(110) metal surfaces
A Molle1, F Buatier de Mongeot, A Molinari
1Dipartimento di Fisica and INFM-Unità di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, I-16146 Genova, Italy.
Abstract:
We report on the far from equilibrium self-organized morphologies obtained after Xe ion irradiation of the Rh(110) and Cu(110) surfaces. Here we experimentally identify by means of high resolution LEED a novel interfacial state characterized by a rhomboidal pyramid islanding with majority steps oriented along nonequilibrium low-symmetry directions. The formation of the novel rhomboidal pyramid state and the transition to the well-known rippled phases results from a delicate interplay of kinetic processes which are controlled by acting on temperature, ion flux, and impact energy.
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