https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2017-11790-3
Regular Article
Hetero-diffusion of Au epitaxy on stepped Ag(110) surface: Study of the jump rate and diffusion coefficient
Laboratoire de la Physique de la Matière Condensée, Faculté des Sciences Ben M’sik, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B. P. 7955, Casablanca, Morocco
Received:
21
August
2017
Accepted:
13
November
2017
Published online:
14
December
2017
We have used molecular dynamics simulations combined with an interatomic potential derived from the embedded atom method, to investigate the hetero-diffusion of Au adatom near a stepped Ag(110) surface with the height of one monoatomic layer. The activation energies for different diffusion processes, which occur on the terrace and near the step edge, are calculated both by molecular statics and molecular dynamics simulations. Static energies are found by the drag method, whereas the dynamic barriers are computed at high temperature from the Arrhenius plots. Our numerical results reveal that the jump process requires very high activation energy compared to the exchange process either on the terrace or near the step edge. In this work, other processes, such as upward and downward diffusion at step edges, have also been discussed.
© Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature, 2017
