Non-equilibrium Interface and Surface Dynamics

Electronic Origin of Kinetic and Dynamic Processes at Atomic Steps on Metal Substrates

Zhenyu Zhang

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In this talk, I will attempt to give a comprehensive view on the trends of step-edge barriers as different metal atoms with different electron shell filling climb down at step edges. I will also talk about how the different electronic bonding strengths influence the nucleation and growth behavior of carbon atoms at step edges, as well as how such electronic degrees of freedom contribute to atomic rate processes within the context of electromigration. The insights gained through first-principles studies have timely and important impacts in understanding the evolution of many nanostructured surfaces, including the nucleation and growth of metal atom wires and epitaxial graphene, and prevention of electrical breakdown in nanodevices.

* Work done in collaboration with Wenguang Zhu, Yina Mo, Tim Kaxiras, Hua Chen, Kirk Bevan, and Hong Guo, and supported by USDOE, USNSF, and NNSF of China.