Origin of Compact Triangular Islands in Metal-on-Metal Growth

Journal Article · Mon Jul 12 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · Physical Review Letters

OSTI ID:9020

Bogicevic, Alexander; Lundqvist, Bengt I; Ovesson, Staffan

The microscopic origin of compact triangular islands on close-packed surfaces is identified using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations with energy barriers obtained from density-functional calculations. In contrast to earlier accounts, corner diffusion anisotropy is found to control the shape of compact islands at intermediate temperatures. We rationalize the correlation between the orientation of dendrites grown at low temperatures and triangular islands grown at higher temperatures, and explain why in some systems dendrites grow fat before turning compact.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 9020
• Report Number(s): SAND99-1755J; TRN: AH200122%%137
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Other Information: Submitted to Physical Review Letters; PBD: 12 Jul 1999
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANISOTROPY
DENDRITES
DIFFUSION
ORIENTATION
MONTE CARLO METHOD
METALS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
MORPHOLOGY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE