title: Characteristic length scale of nanorod diameter during growth.
abstract: This Letter proposes a characteristic length scale on surfaces and demonstrates its impact on nanorod growth. The proposed length scale is the dimension of a surface segment bounded by multiple-layer steps. Lattice kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, taking Cu as the prototype of nanorods, show that the proposed length scale (i) exists as the result of a diffusion barrier of adatoms down multiple-layer steps, (ii) dictates that the diameter of metallic nanorods is on the order of several hundred nanometers, and (iii) sets the upper limit of the facet dimension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hanchen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang