Epitaxial Grain Growth in Metallic Thin Films

本研究包括单晶衬底上多晶薄膜中颗粒生长的实验和理论研究。用反射高能电子衍射、透射电子显微镜和薄膜X射线织构分析表征了薄膜的颗粒大小和取向。金属-金属、金属-云母和金属-碱卤化物模型体系是研究的主要材料。实验结果与计算机模拟和分析理论的预测结果进行了比较。一个主要的目标是通过实验方法确定薄膜/衬底界面能作为相对薄膜/衬底取向的函数，并将这些结果与原子计算机模拟进行比较。

This research consists of an experimental and theoretical investigation of grain growth in polycrystalline films on single crystal substrates. Reflected high energy and transmission electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and thin film X-ray texture analysis are employed to characterize the film grain size and orientation. Metal-on-metal, metal-on-mica, and metal-on-alkali halide model systems are the principal materials under study. Experimental results on grain growth are compared to predictions from computer simulations and analytical theories. A primary goal is to determine the film/substrate interface energy as a function of relative film/substrate orientation by experimental methods and compare these results with atomistic computer simulations.