(Soft) x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) were used to investigate interface reaction : him morphology and surface order at both the Pb/InP(110) interface and the corresponding Interface including an arsenic interlayer. The core level spectra did only reveal very weak, interface reaction, which could be suppressed by arsenic. Growth of three dimensional islands of metallic lead was observed on the Pb/InP(110) interface. Lead deposition onto an ordered arsenic monolayer on InP(110) was accompanied by segregation of approximately half. the arsenic. The growth mode of the lead film changed dramatically from three-dimensional island growth to a layer-by-layer-like mode due to the surfactant arsenic. XPD patterns provided evidence of ordered lead growth on the original system while the arsenic induced smooth Pb films show strong disorder.