Dynamic competition between island growth and coalescence in metal-on-insulator deposition

Abstract

The morphology of thin metal films and nanostructures synthesized from the vapor phase on insulating substrates is strongly influenced by the coalescence of islands. Here, we derive analytically the quantitative criterion for coalescence suppression by combining atomistic nucleation theory and a classical model of coalescence. Growth simulations show that using this criterion, a coalescence-free growth regime can be reached in which morphological evolution is solely determined by island nucleation, growth, and impingement. Experimental validation for the ability to control the rate of coalescence using this criterion and navigate between different growth regimes is provided by in situ monitoring of Ag deposition on SiO2. Our findings pave the way for creating thin films and nanostructures that exhibit a wide range of morphologies and physical attributes in a knowledge-based manner.