Description
- Abstract:
- An experimental study of electric field induced surface diffusion is presented. A FEM analysis and a stability analysis of conducting surfaces subjected to a normal uniform electric field shows that sufficiently strong electric field can destabilize a flat surface. Further, electric field gradients such as those under a sharp electrode or the fringe field in a capacitor can drive surface diffusion, leading to nano-scale and micro-scale surface feature growth. Experiments are conducted on gold surfaces at elevated temperatures around 275 oC, subjected to electric fields of the order of 108-109 V/m. Growth of islands as ridges was observed, the height of which was around 100-200nm. The experiments are carried out with electrode width ranging from 100 microns to 1.5 ?m. The two bands of islands growing under the edge of electrodes start to merge into a single band at smaller electrode width. A description of the initial surface normal velocity is developed by using the Maxwell-Rowgoski solution for the fringe field at the edge of a parallel plate capacitor. A FEM analysis was also carried out which shows the instability of a flat surface subjected to a normal electric field. The FEM results show growth of islands in the fringe field regions. The analysis also shows the transition from two separate islands under the two edges to a single island as the electrode width is decreased.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Brown University (2009)
Access Conditions
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- In Copyright
- Restrictions on Use
- Collection is open for research.
Citation
Gill, Vinaypreet S.,
"An Investigation of Electric Field Induced Surface Diffusion and Micro/Nano Scale Island Growth: Experiments and Modeling"
(2008).
Mechanics of Solids Theses and Dissertations, Engineering Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0TH8JZW
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Mechanics of Solids Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the Mechanics of Solids department.... -