Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5397249 | Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena | 2006 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
Experimental observation of step (i.e., a linear discontinuity in a surface) growth on calcium carbonate and barium sulfate surfaces was performed using in situ scanning probe microscopy (SPM) in aqueous solutions. Step speeds at very short step lengths (<300Â nm) were found to increase with step length, but scatter in the data precluded comparison of different theoretical models with regard to the experimental data. Analysis of experimental errors revealed that the data scatter was not unusual and further suggested that significant experimental bias in the determination of step properties such as the step free energy and kinetics of kink propagation and nucleation are introduced if the instrument bandwidth is not appropriate for the specific dynamics of the step. In light of step growth models based on either equilibrium assumptions or non-equilibrium assumptions, these biases tend to favor one model over the other.
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Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemistry
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Authors
Steven R. Higgins, Xiaoming Hu,