Dewetting of solid films with substrate mediated evaporation

TL;DR

This paper investigates how substrate-mediated evaporation influences the dewetting dynamics of ultrathin solid films, revealing a transition from slowing to constant front velocity and a non-monotonous rim width behavior.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical model validated by KMC simulations that captures the effects of evaporation and sublimation on film dewetting dynamics.

Findings

Transition from slowing to constant front velocity with increased sublimation

Rim width shows a non-monotonous maximum over time

Good agreement between simulations and analytical model

Abstract

The dewetting dynamics of an ultrathin film is studied in the presence of evaporation - or reaction - of adatoms on the substrate. KMC simulations are in good agreement with an analytical model with diffusion, rim facetting, and substrate sublimation. As sublimation is increased, we find a transition from the usual dewetting regime where the front slows down with time, to a sublimation-controlled regime where the front velocity is approximately constant. The rim width exhibits an unexpected non-monotonous behavior, with a maximum in time.