Absolute TiN(111) step energies from analysis of anisotropic island shape fluctuations.
In situ high-temperature (1165-1248 K) scanning tunneling microscopy was used to measure fluctuations around the equilibrium shape of two-dimensional vacancy islands on TiN(111) terraces. From the equilibrium shape, the ratio of the two <110> step energies was found to be 0.72 +/- 0.02. Combining this with the results of an exact approach for analysis of shape fluctuations, applicable to highly anisotropic islands, we obtain absolute values for step energies and step stiffnesses as a function of orientation.
Kodambaka
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S
Department of Materials Science and the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, 104 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Petrova
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Khare
S V
SV
Johnson
D D
DD
Petrov
I
I
Greene
J E
JE