Surface-Step-Induced Oscillatory Oxide Growth

Liang Li, Langli Luo, Jim Ciston, Wissam A. Saidi, Eric A. Stach, Judith C. Yang, and Guangwen Zhou
Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 136104 – Published 25 September 2014
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Abstract

We report in situ atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations of the oxidation of stepped Cu surfaces. We find that the presence of surface steps both inhibits oxide film growth and leads to the oxide decomposition, thereby resulting in oscillatory oxide film growth. Using atomistic simulations, we show that the oscillatory oxide film growth is induced by oxygen adsorption on the lower terrace along the step edge, which destabilizes the oxide film formed on the upper terrace.

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  • Received 18 March 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.136104

© 2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Liang Li1, Langli Luo1, Jim Ciston2,4, Wissam A. Saidi3, Eric A. Stach4, Judith C. Yang5, and Guangwen Zhou1,*

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Multidisciplinary Program in Materials Science and Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, New York 13902, USA
  • 2National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
  • 3Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
  • 4Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA
  • 5Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA

  • *To whom all correspondence should be addressed. gzhou@binghamton.edu

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Vol. 113, Iss. 13 — 26 September 2014

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