Effects of surface topology on the formation of oxide islands on Cu surfaces
Abstract
We examined the effects of surface topology on the nucleation and growth of Cu2O oxide islands during the initial oxidation stages of Cu(100) and Cu(110) surfaces by in situ ultrahigh vacuum transmission electron microscopy and ex situ atomic force microscopy. Our observations indicate that nucleation of three dimensional oxide islands on single crystal surfaces is homogenous, surface defects and dislocations play a very limited role as preferential sites for oxide nucleation. On the other hand, grain boundaries are the preferential sites for oxide nucleation and the oxide islands formed along the grain boundaries show a faster growth rate than that on flat Cu surface. The oxidation on the faceted Cu(110) surface results in heterogeneous nucleation of oxide islands in the facet valleys and one-dimensional growth along the intersection direction of the facets.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Applied Physics
- Pub Date:
- March 2005
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.1861147
- Bibcode:
- 2005JAP....97f3509Z
- Keywords:
-
- 68.55.Jk;
- 81.65.Mq;
- 68.35.Bs;
- 81.05.Bx;
- 68.55.Ln;
- 61.72.Mm;
- 61.72.Ff;
- 68.37.Lp;
- 68.37.Ps;
- Structure and morphology;
- thickness;
- crystalline orientation and texture;
- Oxidation;
- Structure of clean surfaces;
- Metals semimetals and alloys;
- Defects and impurities: doping implantation distribution concentration etc.;
- Grain and twin boundaries;
- Direct observation of dislocations and other defects;
- Transmission electron microscopy;
- Atomic force microscopy