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An Interactive Desktop Computer Program for Simulating Nanometer Scale Surface Pattern Formation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Michael Wang
Michael Wang*
Affiliation:
mcky2004@hotmail.com, Albuquerque Academy, 6400 Wyoming Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87109, United States, (505)797-1567
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Abstract

Nanometer-scale patterns may form as one or more chemical components deposit on a solid substrate. This self-assembly process can be described by a set of nonlinear integral-differential diffusion equations accounting for two opposing factors: phase separation to minimizing Gibb's free energy in individual surface phases and reduction in phase boundaries to minimize surface energy created by phase separation. I here present a desktop computer program that allows us to interactively simulate self-assembly of nanometer-scale surface patterns. In particular, this program provides a convenient tool for studying the effects of temperature variations and preexisting patterns on the self-assembly process. Computer simulations show that an increase in temperature may enlarge pattern sizes and can eventually lead to the disappearance of the patterns.

Keywords

self-assemblysurface chemistrysimulation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1177: Symposium Z – Computational Nanoscience–How to Exploit Synergy between Predictive Simulations and Experiment , 2009 , 1177-Z09-19
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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