Quantitative analysis of scanning tunnelling microscope images of Fe grown epitaxially on MgO(001) using length-dependent variance measurements

The roughness parameters of STM images of bcc Fe grown epitaxially on MgO(100) were analysed as a function of growth temperature in the range between 295 K and 595 K. The images were evaluated by means of length-dependent variance measurements revealing both vertical and lateral roughness information. The correlation length increased from 15 to 30 nm and the rms roughness decreased with increasing growth temperature whereas the fractal dimension remained constant.