Growth shapes of Ag islands formed on Ag͑111͒ during submonolayer deposition at different temperatures were studied with scanning tunneling microscopy, and analyzed via kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of a suitable atomistic lattice-gas model. Distinct shape transitions can be observed, from dendrites with triangular envelopes at low temperatures ͑below 140 K͒ to more isotropic fat fractal islands at intermediate temperatures, and then to distorted hexagonal shapes with longer B steps and shorter A steps at higher temperatures ͑above 170 K͒. In contrast, the equilibrium island shapes in this system are almost perfect hexagons displaying a near-sixfold symmetry. Modeling reveals that the broken symmetry of growth shapes at low and high temperatures derives from the interplay of diffusion-mediated aggregation with different aspects of a corner diffusion anisotropy. The broken symmetry is less clear at intermediate temperatures, where the near-isotropic fractal shapes reflect in part a kink Ehrlich-Schwoebel effect.

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has been used to investigate the nucleation and growth of Ag islands on the fivefold surface of an icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal. Analysis of the data as a function of deposition temperature, from 127 K to 300 K, reveals that island density is constant, while at higher temperature it decreases. To model this behavior, we first show that the potential energy surface describing bonding of Ag at various locations on the surface is complex, with a few sites acting as traps for clusters of adatoms. We then develop a rate equation model which incorporates enhanced nucleation at trap sites relative to nucleation at regular sites on terraces. It recovers the temperature dependence of the island density, plus previous flux-scaling data. Our model suggests that the critical size for both types of nucleation sites is large-corresponding to stable clusters of at least 6 Ag atoms-and that binding between atoms at trap sites is significantly stronger than at free terrace sites. The data and the model, combined, provide guidance about the conditions of temperature and flux under which saturation of trap sites can be expected. This, in turn, provides a general indicator of the conditions that may favor localized pseudomorphic growth at low coverage, here and in other systems. Scanning tunneling microscopy ͑STM͒ has been used to investigate the nucleation and growth of Ag islands on the fivefold surface of an icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal. Analysis of the data as a function of deposition temperature, from 127 K to 300 K, reveals that island density is constant, while at higher temperature it decreases. To model this behavior, we first show that the potential energy surface describing bonding of Ag at various locations on the surface is complex, with a few sites acting as traps for clusters of adatoms. We then develop a rate equation model which incorporates enhanced nucleation at trap sites relative to nucleation at regular sites on terraces. It recovers the temperature dependence of the island density, plus previous fluxscaling data. Our model suggests that the critical size for both types of nucleation sites is large-corresponding to stable clusters of at least 6 Ag atoms-and that binding between atoms at trap sites is significantly stronger than at free terrace sites. The data and the model, combined, provide guidance about the conditions of temperature and flux under which saturation of trap sites can be expected. This, in turn, provides a general indicator of the conditions that may favor localized pseudomorphic growth at low coverage, here and in other systems.

Using total energy calculations, based on interaction potentials from the embedded atom method, we show that the presence of the tip not only lowers the barrier for lateral diffusion of the adatom towards it, but also shifts the corresponding saddle point. For a Cu adatom at a (100) microfacetted step on Cu(111) this shift is 0.6 o A . The effect of the tip geometry and shape on the energetics of lateral manipulation was found to be subtle. In the case of vertical manipulation of a Cu adatom on flat, stepped, and kinked Cu surfaces we find an unusual but interesting result. It is found that as the tip approaches the surface, it becomes easier to extract the adatom from the stepped and the kinked surfaces, as compared to the flat surface. This counter intuitive result can be explained in terms of tip induced changes in the bonding of the adatom to its low coordinated surroundings.