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Research Article

Step-confined thin film growth via near-surface atom migration

Caixia Meng1,2,§, Junfeng Gao3,§, Rongtan Li1,2, Yanxiao Ning1, Yuan Chang3, Rentao Mu1( ), Qiang Fu1( ), Xinhe Bao1,4
State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Dalian University of Technology, Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024, China
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China

§ Caixia Meng and Junfeng Gao contributed equally to this work.

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Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Understanding of thin film growth mechanism is crucial for tailoring film growth behaviors, which in turn determine physicochemical properties of the resulting films. Here, vapor-growth of tungsten carbide overlayers on W(110) surface is investigated by real time low energy electron microscopy. The surface growth is strongly confined by surface steps, which is in contrast with overlayer growth crossing steps in a so-called carpet-like growth mode for example in graphene growth on metal surfaces. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the step-confined growth is caused by the strong interaction of the forming carbide overlayer with the substrate blocking cross-step growth of the film. Furthermore, the tungsten carbide growth within each terrace is facilitated by the supply of carbon atoms from near-surface regions at high temperatures. These findings suggest the critical role of near-surface atom diffusion and step confinement effects in the thin film growth, which may be active in many film growth systems.

Keywords

thin film growthtungsten carbidenear-surface dopantlow-energy electron microscopy (LEEM)step confinement

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Nano Research
Volume 13 Issue 6,
June 2020
Pages 1552-1557
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-020-2769-x
Cite this article:
Meng C, Gao J, Li R, et al. Step-confined thin film growth via near-surface atom migration. Nano Research, 2020, 13(6): 1552-1557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2769-x
Topics:
Density functional theoryElectronsPhysicochemical propertiesThin films

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Received: 03 February 2020
Revised: 27 February 2020
Accepted: 21 March 2020
Published: 14 April 2020
© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
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