Strategy for improving Ag wetting on oxides: Coalescence dynamics versus nucleation density

Zhao, Guoqing; Jeong, Eunwook; Choi, Eun–Ae; Yu, Seung Min; Bae, Jong‐Sup; Lee, Sang‐Geul; Han, Seung Zeon; Lee, Gun-Hwan; Yun, Jungheum

doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145515

Cited by 33 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The final increase in A r of Zn clusters to higher values than observed at lower Cr thickness (Figure 9) evidence a more pronounced incomplete coalescence, i.e., flatter objects. 102,103 Therefore, at 300 K, a partly oxidized 0.7 Å thick Cr film, that covers only ∼5% of the alumina surface (Figure 3b), allows the capture of more than 80% of a Zn dose. This rules out a sticking mechanism driven only by direct impact but rather supports the previous assumption of a long residence time on the alumina surface of the impinging Zn atoms with, in the present case, a diffusion length larger than the average distance between Cr islands.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An In Situ and Real-Time Plasmonic Approach of Seed/Adhesion Layers: Chromium Buffer Effect at the Zinc/Alumina Interface

Messaykeh

Chénot

David

et al. 2021

Crystal Growth & Design

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The eect of additives on metal/oxide interfaces is explored in situ and in real time on evaporated lms by a combination of surface science techniques, among which a very exible optical method shows a unique ability to scrutinize the growth and wetting properties of supported clusters that involve several elements. The study focuses on Cr at the Zn/α-Al 2 O 3 (0001) interface at 300 K. A particular interest of the present interface is that Zn does not stick at all on bare alumina. The sticking and morphology of both Cr and Zn lms are analyzed from submonolayer to multilayer thicknesses, during their growth. After an initial oxidation reaction with residual OH groups, shown to be detrimental to Zn adhesion, Cr growth proceeds through the formation of high aspect ratio particles that percolate around an average thickness of 10 Å. As regards to Zn growth on a Cr deposit, two very distinct stages can be distinguished. In the submonolayer thickness range, Cr forms a seed layer that drastically increases the Zn sticking coecient from zero to nearly one due to a diusion length of physisorbed Zn adatoms before desorption larger than Cr island separation; Zn clusters are anchored on the Cr seeds that they encapsulate, but their wetting behavior is dictated by the interaction with alumina. In a second stage, as soon as the Cr lm percolates, it forms an adhesion layer on which Zn grows in a nearly 2D mode. In all cases, Cr lms are stable upon annealing. On Cr-covered alumina, the Zn desorption energy is enhanced as compared to bare surfaces which, in line with atomistic simulations, is assigned to the formation of more favorable Cr-Al 2 O 3 and Cr-Zn than Zn-Al 2 O 3 bonds. Generally speaking, the ability demonstrated herein of small amounts of additives to dramatically increase the adhesion of lms is of great practical interest. It shows that non-continuous and partially oxidized lms of additives, closer to realistic cases of application, can strongly enhance the sticking of lms. Also, anchoring a functional lm by discrete pre-deposited seeds can keep its properties intact.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An In Situ and Real-Time Plasmonic Approach of Seed/Adhesion Layers: Chromium Buffer Effect at the Zinc/Alumina Interface

Messaykeh

Chénot

David

et al. 2021

Crystal Growth & Design

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“…Furthermore, exposure of vicinal Ag surfaces to atomic oxygen has been shown to promote sidewall facet formation 76 , which is known to decrease the rate of material transport between the coalescing islands 29,77 . Moreover, atomic oxygen adsorption on the surface of Ag islands residing on SiO2 surfaces has been suggested to lower the island surface and the island/substrate interface energies; which yields a smaller driving force for cluster reshaping 78 . The above-mentioned mechanisms are relevant for explaining the hindrance of coalescence completion in our film/substrate system, which is seemingly the process by which 2D growth morphology is promoted for Ag films in the presence of O2.…”

Section: By Fitting the 111 Reflections Withmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manipulation of thin silver film growth on weakly interacting silicon dioxide substrates using oxygen as a surfactant

Pliatsikas

Jamnig

Konpan

et al. 2020

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films

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“…Hence our findings indicate strongly that alloying agents lead to flatter film formation by hindering island reshaping during coalescence, in agreement with our previous studies 62,63 and recent literature reports. 73 However, we note that other mechanisms, including increase of island density during nucleation 23,24 and/or suppression of upward mass transport during island growth (the latter suggested by McDougall et al 74 for explaining formation of bilayer Dy films on graphene well below room temperature), may also be contributing factors to the observed morphological evolution. The results presented in Figs.…”

Section: Layermentioning

confidence: 65%

Manipulation of thin metal film morphology on weakly interacting substrates via selective deployment of alloying species

Jamnig

Pliatsikas

Abadias

et al. 2022

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films

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We demonstrate a versatile concept for manipulating morphology of thin (≤25 nm) noble-metal films on weakly interacting substrates using growth of Ag on SiO2 as a model system. The concept entails deployment of minority metallic (Cu, Au, Al, Ti, Cr, and Mo) alloying species at the Ag-layer growth front. Data from in situ and real-time monitoring of the deposition process show that all alloying agents—when deployed together with Ag vapor throughout the entire film deposition—favor two-dimensional (2D) growth morphology as compared to pure Ag film growth. This is manifested by an increase in the substrate area coverage for a given amount of deposited material in discontinuous layers and a decrease of the thickness at which a continuous layer is formed, though at the expense of a larger electrical resistivity. Based on ex situ microstructural analyses, we conclude that 2D morphological evolution under the presence of alloying species is predominantly caused by a decrease of the rate of island coalescence completion during the initial film-formation stages. Guided by this realization, alloying species are released with high temporal precision to selectively target growth stages before and after coalescence completion. Pre-coalescence deployment of all alloying agents yields a more pronounced 2D growth morphology, which for the case of Cu, Al, and Au is achieved without compromising the Ag-layer electrical conductivity. A more complex behavior is observed when alloying atoms are deposited during the post-coalescence growth stages: Cu, Au, Al, and Cr favor 2D morphology, while Ti and Mo yield a more pronounced three-dimensional morphological evolution. The overall results presented herein show that targeted deployment of alloying agents constitutes a generic platform for designing bespoken heterostructures between metal layers and technologically relevant weakly interacting substrates.

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Strategy for improving Ag wetting on oxides: Coalescence dynamics versus nucleation density

Cited by 33 publications

References 39 publications

An In Situ and Real-Time Plasmonic Approach of Seed/Adhesion Layers: Chromium Buffer Effect at the Zinc/Alumina Interface

An In Situ and Real-Time Plasmonic Approach of Seed/Adhesion Layers: Chromium Buffer Effect at the Zinc/Alumina Interface

Manipulation of thin silver film growth on weakly interacting silicon dioxide substrates using oxygen as a surfactant

Manipulation of thin metal film morphology on weakly interacting substrates via selective deployment of alloying species

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