Atomic surface and lattice structures of AgBr thin-films

We have studied the surfaces of (001)- and (111)-oriented AgBr thin films by means of the decoration technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM). On 100 surfaces both methods exhibit the complete step structure including steps of atomic height. On 111 surfaces a superstructure is imaged with spacings of about 6 nm. A six-fold symmetry of the superstructure is revealed by gold decoration. The decorating gold nuclei are highly ordered and aligned along the [110] directions of the AgBr lattice. For the first time atomic resolution of the surface lattice is achieved at both 100 and 111 faces by AFM. The imaged lattices of the protrusions on the cubic faces and the octahedral faces with spacings of 0.41 +/- 0.02 nm and 0.42 +/- 0.02 nM, respectively, correspond to the unreconstructed (1 X 1) surfaces.