title: Surface-step-induced oscillatory oxide growth.
abstract: We report in situ atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations of the oxidation of stepped Cu surfaces. We find that the presence of surface steps both inhibits oxide film growth and leads to the oxide decomposition, thereby resulting in oscillatory oxide film growth. Using atomistic simulations, we show that the oscillatory oxide film growth is induced by oxygen adsorption on the lower terrace along the step edge, which destabilizes the oxide film formed on the upper terrace.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Multidisciplinary Program in Materials Science and Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, New York 13902, USA.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Multidisciplinary Program in Materials Science and Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, New York 13902, USA.
authors.forename: Langli
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA and Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ciston
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Wissam A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Saidi
authors.affiliation: Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Stach
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Judith C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Multidisciplinary Program in Materials Science and Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, New York 13902, USA.
authors.forename: Guangwen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou