| The growth of ultrathin films on metallic surfaces is very interesting scientifically and technologically. The presence of a surface or interface between two materials significantly alters the physical properties from that of the bulk, opening up a whole new realm of scientific investigation. Technology has made use of ultrathin films for a variety of purposes, such as corrosion protection, adhesion, lubrication, and bimetallic catalysis.; The growth of Pb on various substrate surfaces has been widely studied and has been shown to grow on a number of surfaces in the Stranski-Krastanov mode. W(110) has also been the target of much study as a substrate for numerous adsorbate phenomena.; I have used the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) to probe the growth of the initial layer of Pb on W(110), as well as the development of stacked island clusters and ordered crystallites at various temperatures. Images taken with STM revealed the temperature-independent growth methods of the initial layer. A temperature dependence was found for the growth of the multilayer, however.; I also produced real-time images with the Low Energy Electron Microscope (LEEM). These experiments revealed a strong temperature dependence for the density of the islands, which form into ordered crystallites. Atomistic nucleation theory was applied to acquire the surface diffusion activation energy and the critical cluster size. Images also captured a range of crystallite activity during growth and sample heating. Finally, the desorption of multilayer Pb was observed, revealing distortions in the initial Pb layer due to the presence of the crystallites. |
