Fragmentation pathways of nanofractal structures on surface

TL;DR

This paper provides a theoretical analysis of how nanofractal structures on surfaces evolve after growth, focusing on particle diffusion and detachment as key factors shaping stable islands.

Contribution

A novel method was developed to model internal particle dynamics in nanofractals, enhancing understanding of post-growth surface relaxation processes.

Findings

Particle diffusion and detachment control island shape

Different relaxation scenarios affect morphology evolution

Results align with experimental observations

Abstract

We present a detailed systematical theoretical analysis of the post-growth processes occurring in nanofractals grown on surface. For this study we developed a method which accounts for the internal dynamics of particles in a fractal. We demonstrate that particle diffusion and detachment controls the shape of the emerging stable islands on surface. We consider different scenarios of fractal post-growth relaxation and analyze the time evolution of the island's morphology. The results of our calculations are compared with available experimental observations, and experiments in which the post-growth relaxation of deposited nanostructures can be probed are suggested.