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| Home > Publications database > Real-Time Observation of Temperature-Induced Surface Nanofaceting in M-Plane $\alpha$-Al$_2$O$_3$ |
| Journal Article | PUBDB-2022-03984 |
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2022
Soc.
Washington, DC
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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1021/acsami.1c22029 doi:10.3204/PUBDB-2022-03984
Abstract: The spontaneous crystal surface reconstruction of M-plane $\alpha$-Al$_2$O$_3$ is employed for nanopatterning and nanofabrication in various fields of research including, among others, magnetism, superconductivity, and optoelectronics. In this reconstruction process the crystalline surface transforms from a planar morphology to one with a nanoscale ripple patterning. However, the high sample temperature required to induce surface reconstruction made $in$ $situ$ studies of the process seem unfeasible. The kinetics of ripple pattern formation therefore remained uncertain, and thus production of templates for nanofabrication could not advance beyond a trial-and-error stage. We present an approach combining $in$ $situ$ real-time grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering experiments (GISAXS) with model-based analysis and with $ex$ $situ$ atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe this morphological transition in great detail. Our approach provides time-resolved information about all relevant morphological parameters required to trace the surface topography on the nanometer scale during reconstruction, i.e., the time dependence of the pattern wavelength, the ripple length, width, and height, and thus their facet angles. It offers a comprehensive picture of this process exemplified by a M-plane $\alpha$-Al$_2$O$_3$ surface annealed at 1325 °C for 930 min. Fitting the model parameters to the experimental GISAXS data revealed a Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov type of behavior for the pattern wavelength and a predominantly linear time dependence of the other parameters. In this case the reconstruction resulted in a crystalline surface fully patterned with asymmetric ripple-shaped nanostructures of 75 nm periodicity, 15 nm in height, and 630 nm in length. By elucidating the time dependence of these morphological parameters, this study shows a powerful way to significantly advance the predictability of annealing outcome and thus to efficiently customize nanopatterned $\alpha$-Al$_2$O$_3$ templates for improved nanofabrication routines.
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