TY - JOUR
T1 - Real-Time Dynamical Observation of Lattice Induced Nucleation and Growth in Interfacial Solid-Solid Phase Transitions
AU - Li, Junjie
AU - Li, Qiang
AU - Wang, Zhongchang
AU - Deepak, Francis Leonard
PY - 2016/12/7
Y1 - 2016/12/7
N2 - Uncovering dynamical processes of lattice induced epitaxial growth of nanocrystal on the support is critical to understanding crystallization, solid-phase epitaxial growth, Oswald ripening process, and advanced nanofabrication, all of which are linked to different important applications in the materials field. Here, we conduct direct in situ atomic-scale dynamical observation of segregated Bi layers on SrBi2Ta2O9 support under low dose electron irradiation to explore the nucleation and growth from an initial disordered solid state to a stable faceted crystal by using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. We provide, for the first time, atomic-scale insights into the initial prenucleation stage of lattice induced interfacial nucleation, size-dependent crystalline fluctuation, and stepped-growth stage of the formed nanocrystal on the oxide support at the atomic scale. We identify a critical diameter in forming a stable faceted configuration and find interestingly that the stable nanocrystal presents a size-dependent coalescence mechanism. These results offer an atomic-scale view into the dynamic process at solid/solid interfaces, which has implications for thin film growth and advanced nanofabrication.
AB - Uncovering dynamical processes of lattice induced epitaxial growth of nanocrystal on the support is critical to understanding crystallization, solid-phase epitaxial growth, Oswald ripening process, and advanced nanofabrication, all of which are linked to different important applications in the materials field. Here, we conduct direct in situ atomic-scale dynamical observation of segregated Bi layers on SrBi2Ta2O9 support under low dose electron irradiation to explore the nucleation and growth from an initial disordered solid state to a stable faceted crystal by using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. We provide, for the first time, atomic-scale insights into the initial prenucleation stage of lattice induced interfacial nucleation, size-dependent crystalline fluctuation, and stepped-growth stage of the formed nanocrystal on the oxide support at the atomic scale. We identify a critical diameter in forming a stable faceted configuration and find interestingly that the stable nanocrystal presents a size-dependent coalescence mechanism. These results offer an atomic-scale view into the dynamic process at solid/solid interfaces, which has implications for thin film growth and advanced nanofabrication.
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U2 - 10.1021/acs.cgd.6b01421
DO - 10.1021/acs.cgd.6b01421
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85002605557
VL - 16
SP - 7256
EP - 7262
JO - Crystal Growth and Design
JF - Crystal Growth and Design
SN - 1528-7483
IS - 12
ER -