One-dimensional epitaxial growth of indium on a self-assembled atomic-scale bismuth template

1D indium islands have been formed by epitaxial growth on a self-assembled template. The templates are formed from Bi nanolines, which are 1.5 nm wide, and can be over 500 nm in length. The islands conform to the template width and are over 100 nm long. The first layer of the island forms a novel chain structure of In and Bi atoms, which accounts for the epitaxial growth of the nanocrystals on the template. The second layer shows a hexagonal structure 19 A or 2.5 dimer rows wide. Epitaxial growth saturates after two layers of In have been deposited. With further deposition, a transition to the growth of 3D In droplets is observed.