Abstract: | |
We investigate the shape of monatomic high Cu islands on a Cu(111) surface by variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy between 110 K and 240 K. Low temperature dendrites evolve towards more compact shapes at increasing temperature; finally reaching the equilibrium shape of a hexagon with rounded corners. Time-lapsed imaging at increasing temperature reveals the onset of shape change to be at ≈170 K, corresponding to the onset of edge and corner diffusion of atoms along the island's borders. Despite a substantial variation for individual islands at each temperature, the mean fractal dimension increases monotonously between 170 K up to 240 K, from the smallest to the largest values feasible for islands grown on surfaces. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of the Institute of Physics and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.
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License of this version: | CC BY 4.0 Unported - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Publication type: | Article |
Publishing status: | publishedVersion |
Publication date: | 2020 |
Keywords english: | Copper metallography, Scanning tunneling microscopy, Temperature, Equilibrium shape, Increasing temperatures, Low temperatures, Rounded corners, Shape change, Substantial variations, Temperature-dependent changes, Variable temperature, Fractal dimension |
DDC: | 530 | Physik |
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