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A. Biedermann, R. Tscheließnig, C. Klein, M. Schmid, P. Varga:
"Reconstruction of the clean and H-covered "magnetic live surface layer" of Fe films grown on Cu(100)";
Surface Science, 563 (2004), 110 - 126.

The surface of 6-7 monolayer thick fcc Fe films grown at room temperature on a Cu(100) substrate is characterized by scanning
tunneling microscopy (STM) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The STM images show a p4g(2x2) structure at 5 and 80 K, but not
at 300 K. LEED, however, indicates an expansion of the interlayer distance and lateral distortions of similar magnitude both at 150 K and
at 300 K. No evidence for a significant change of the surface structure is detected by a LEED spot profile analysis between 150 and 300 K.
We attribute the apparent absence of the reconstruction in the STM images at 300 K to surface dynamics caused by domain boundary
motion. The particular surface structure with bond angles and distances similar to bcc Fe suggests a driving force of the reconstruction
which is similar to that operative in the fcc-to-bcc transition of bulk Fe. Dosing less than 5 Langmuirs H2 decorates the p4g(2x2) surface
reconstruction, while higher hydrogen doses transform the surface reconstruction to p(2x1).

Corresponding author: A. Biedermann; reprints also available from M. Schmid.

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