Size-dependent mobility of gold nano-clusters during growth on chemically modified graphene

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014 · APL Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4862696· OSTI ID:22269567

Dawson, Peter M.; Pandey, Priyanka A.; Wilson, Neil R. ^[1]; Mulheran, Paul A. ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)
2. Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Strathclyde, James Weir Building, 75 Montrose St., Glasgow G1 1XJ (United Kingdom)

Gold nano-clusters were grown on chemically modified graphene by direct sputter deposition. Transmission electron microscopy of the nano-clusters on these electron-transparent substrates reveals an unusual bimodal island size distribution (ISD). A kinetic Monte Carlo model of growth incorporating a size-dependent cluster mobility rule uniquely reproduces the bimodal ISD, providing strong evidence for the mobility of large clusters during surface growth. The cluster mobility exponent of −5/3 is consistent with cluster motion via one-dimensional diffusion of gold atoms around the edges of the nano-clusters.

• OSTI ID: 22269567
• Journal Information: APL Materials, Vol. 2, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2014 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2166-532X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
DEPOSITION
DIFFUSION
ELECTRONS
GOLD
GRAPHENE
MOBILITY
MONTE CARLO METHOD
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
SURFACES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY