Growth of nanosize Ni thin films on a modified c(2 x 2)-N Cu(100) surface

Growth of Ni on a c(2 x 2)-N Cu(100) surface was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). When Ni atoms are vaporized on a Cu(100) surface with square c(2 x 2)-N patches, one-atomic-layer Ni islands with an average size of 50 Å are grown on the virgin area remaining at the corner of c(2 x 2)-N patches, so that uniform-size Ni islands are arranged like a checkerboard. This checkerboard arrangement of Ni islands is stable up to 470 K. Stronger interaction of the Ni layer with the clean area compared to the c(2 x 2)-N area brings about this unique growth of Ni islands on the c(2 x 2)-N Cu(100) surface.