Island morphologies and separations were deduced from 2-dimensional diffraction patterns that were obtained by means of high-resolution low-energy electron diffraction during sub-monolayer homo-epitaxy onto the (001) surface. Within the temperature range that was considered, the islands were found to be square, with their edges along the [110] directions; thus indicating a low energy barrier to diffusion along close-packed step

edges. By measuring the temperature dependence of the average island separation in the diffusion-limited steady-state growth regime, the energy barrier to adatom diffusion, and the binding energy for small islands, were determined.

H.Dürr, J.F.Wendelken, J.K.Zuo: Surface Science, 1995, 328, L527-32