The Effects of Substrate-Mediated Interaction between Adsorbed Atoms on the Structure of Two-Dimensional Crystals Formed from these Atoms

Abstract

In the present paper experimental data on the factors affecting the atomic structure of submonolayer adsorbed films are discussed. Atoms in a submonolayer film may be arranged in one plane, thus forming a two-dimensional system and, in particular, a twodimensional crystal (at sufficiently low temperature). There are several reasons for the interest in such objects: first, their very small dimensions, which results in phase transitions of unusual types; second, the material on the surface possesses specific chemical properties resulting in unusual interactions within the film; finally, a submonolayer film is the first stage of crystal growth on a foreign surface, and to some extent this stage affects the subsequent stages of the process.