L-edge x-ray absorption fine structure study of growth and morphology of ultrathin nickel films deposited on copper

We have studied the Ni L edge x-ray absorption fine structure for thin Ni films evaporated on a Cu(001) substrate. The measurements have been carried out for films having coverages ranging from 0.07 monolayers (ML) up to 3.1 ML. The coverage has been calibrated using the ratio of the Ni L{sub 3} to Cu L{sub 3} edge jump heights and independently verified with titration experiments. We have found a clear evolution of the x-ray absorption fine structure at the Ni L{sub 3} edge with coverage. To interpret the measured spectra first-principles calculations have been performed modeling a two-dimensional growth. The calculations reproduced all features observed experimentally. From the comparison between experiment and theory we can conclude that submonolayer films contain a large number of small islands. Deposition of an amount of nickel corresponding to a single layer results in the formation of an almost perfect flat layer. Our studies show that L edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy can provide useful information on thin-film growth and morphology.