Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of CoO precursor and oxide layers on Ag(0 0 1)

We have deposited Co in O2 atmosphere onto Ag(0 0 1) in order to grow thin CoO films in (0 0 1) orientation. According to previous work CoO(0 0 1) layers are obtained for deposition at elevated substrate temperature (470 K) while at lower substrate temperature an oxide precursor develops. Our present work is devoted to a more systematic analysis of the precursor structure and the subsequent stages to formation of CoO(0 0 1) by scanning tunneling microscopy and its characterization by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, where we have measured I/U characteristics and determined the normalized conductance (dI/dU)/(I/U).