We have studied the incorporation rate of Mn at a vicinal Cu(100) surface as a function of substrate temperature using electron energy-loss spectroscopy. We find that for low coverages of Mn (0.25 monolayers), incorporation takes place at substrate temperatures below 140 K. We conclude that initial incorporation proceeds via the annihilation of kinks at partially decorated steps. In addition, strong MnCu bonding leads to a further reduction of the barriers associated with kinetic mechanisms at the step edge compared to those at a clean [110] step. Effective medium theory calculations for the CuCu(100) and PdCu(100) surfaces are described which support these conclusions.
