https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2006-00123-2
Three-dimensional growth characteristics of antimony aggregates on graphite
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Corresponding author: a simon.brown@canterbury.ac.nz
Received:
10
January
2006
Published online:
13
June
2006
The growth of antimony aggregates on the basal plane of graphite via diffusion and aggregation of Sb4 clusters has been investigated with scanning electron microscopy, and in 3-dimensions with atomic force microscopy. The aggregate morphologies depend critically on the deposition conditions. It is shown that a transition from compact to branched morphologies with increasing aggregate size, depends on the particle flux. Also, the aggregate heights are strongly influenced by flux, with higher fluxes producing flatter aggregates. The heights of individual island branches are also shown to depend on the local diffusion field.
PACS: 68.43.Jk – Diffusion of adsorbates, kinetics of coarsening and aggregation / 61.46.-w – Nanoscale materials / 81.16.Dn – Self-assembly
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2006
