Thermodynamic study of argon films adsorbed on boron nitride

Journal Article · Mon Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.47.6685· OSTI ID:7034522

Migone, A D; Alkhafaji, M T ^[1]; Vidali, G ^[2]; Karimi, M ^[3]

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1. Department of Physics and Molecular Science Program, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, 201 Physics Building, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244-1130 (United States)
3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Solid State Division, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)

We have performed a detailed adsorption isotherm study of Ar on BN for temperatures between 65 and 80 K. The isothermal compressibility of the films was obtained from adsorption data. At monolayer coverages, a small isotherm substep is present at melting. We found two isothermal compressibility peaks in the first layer: a sharp peak, corresponding to the melting substep, and a smaller, broader peak that occurs at lower pressures. At multilayer coverages we found reentrant layering occurring in the third and fourth layers of the film. We compare our layering results with predictions for the preroughening transition. We also found a series of small steps in the isotherms between the second and third layers and between the third and fourth layers of the film. These small steps are evidence of individual layer melting for the second and third layers. Our results at monolayer and at multilayer coverages are extensively compared to those found for Ar on graphite. We have also performed calculations of the rare-gas--BN interaction potentials. Our calculations indicate the substrate corrugation is smaller for the rare-gas--BN systems than it is for the same rare gases on graphite. The implications of this result for the possible existence of monolayer-commensurate solids on BN are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 7034522
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States) Vol. 47:11; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMDO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360204* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
ADSORPTION ISOTHERMS
ARGON
BORON COMPOUNDS
BORON NITRIDES
CARBON
COMPRESSIBILITY
DATA
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FILMS
FLUIDS
FREE ENERGY
GASES
GRAPHITE
INFORMATION
ISOTHERMS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MELTING
MINERALS
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
RARE GASES
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SURFACE ENERGY
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMICS
THIN FILMS
WETTING HEAT