Low-energy Ion-beam-activated Growth of Ordered Nanocomposites - Modeling and Computer Simulations vs Experiments


Low-energy Ion-beam-activated Growth of Ordered Nanocomposites - Modeling and Computer Simulations vs Experiments

Heinig, K.-H.; Abrasonis, G.; Liedke, B.

Co-sputtering of immiscible components like Al/Si, Metals/C, Metals/Si, Si/SiO2 etc. leads usually to artificially mixed solids which are metastable but nevertheless useful for applications up to a certain operation temperature. The components or their compounds are either mixed (on the atomic scale) into a state far from thermodynamic equilibrium, or they become phase separated (on the nanoscale) into a composite like a ceramic and a metal in a cermet. Phase separation can occur ion-beam-activated during growth, or thermally activated in a subsequent annealing step.
It will be shown how, during co-sputtering, a high atomic mobility in the growing top layer allows for an almost complete phase separation and, eventually, the fabrication of regular order of the precipitated components. Thus, growth of hexagonally ordered silicide nanowires embedded in silicon has been demonstrated by biased co-sputtering of metals and silicon at elevated substrate temperature [Yasui et al., Adv.Mater. 2007,19, 2797]. Here, well-ordered metal/carbon and Si/SiO2 nanocomposites will be shown, and their evolution will be demonstrated by 3D kinetic lattice Monte Carlo simulations. Predictive atomistic simulations on spatiotemporal scales of experiments will be presented which give a guideline for fabrication of nanocomposites having self-organized structures with a high degree of order.

Keywords: atomistic simulations; sputter deposition; ion irradiation; self-organisation; pattern formation

Related publications

  • Invited lecture (Conferences)
    2013 MRS Spring Meeting, Symposium UU: Plasma and Low-Energy Ion-Beam-assisted Processing and Synthesis of Energy-related Materials, 01.-05.04.2013, San Francisco, USA

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Publ.-Id: 19506