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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 48: Poster Session IV: Surface dynamics II: Phase transitions and elementary processes

O 48.3: Poster

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 13:30–15:30, P

Solid state dewetting of thin bismuth films: a quantitative analysis of crystal truncation rods — •Constantin Wansorra and Wolfgang Donner — TU Darmstadt, Materials Science, Structure Research, Darmstadt, Germany

The dewetting of a thin film in the solid state represents a prominent destruction mechanism of thin films at elevated temperatures and is therefore researched with increasing importance. The activation of surface diffusion by temperature results in the transition of a flat thin film into separated islands, caused by a reduction of surface and interface energies [1].

While the major part of research about this topic is covered by microscopy methods, we apply x-ray diffraction and analyze crystal truncation rods quantitatively. With additional support from electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) experiments, we determine unit cell coverage, lattice spacings and gradients thereof to reveal the impeding influence of a strain gradient present in thin bismuth films on solid state dewetting [2]. Furthermore, models of the step edge diffusion of bismuth were developed and the possible influence of a strain gradient on this model is discussed.

[1] Thompson, Rev. Mater. Res. 42 (2012): 399-434.

[2] Wansorra, et al., Acta Mater. 200 (2020): 455-462.