Physical and chemical aspects of the study of clusters, nanostructures and nanomaterials. Founded at 2009


Comparative analysis of the process of formation of fractal metal films: atomistic simulation

V.A. Anofriev, A.S. Antonov, S.A. Vasilyev, N.B. Kuz’min, N.Yu.. Sdobnyakov

Tver State University

DOI: 10.26456/pcascnn/2025.17.339

Original article

Abstract: In this paper, molecular dynamics method and the tight-binding potential were used to simulate a molecular beam epitaxy process for the formation of fractal metal films of copper subgroup elements (Ag, Au, Cu) on a solid surface of a more refractory metal, rhodium being selected. The author’s software product was used to simulate the molecular beam epitaxy. It was found that, with various parameters of the molecular dynamics experiment, it is possible to identify the transition from the formation of a family of island films with an irregular boundary to a more massive film, but with a symmetrical boundary. The conditions are described under which smaller island satellite films or films having a common boundary («sleeves») around one central film are formed. Under various conditions of the molecular dynamics experiment, the possibility of forming fractal structures in the island films under study was shown, and the fractal dimension was estimated in the software FractalSurface 2.0.

Keywords: molecular beam epitaxy, molecular dynamic simulation, tight-binding potential, fractal dimension, thin films, gold, silver, copper, substrate, rhodium

  • Vitaly A. Anofriev – 3rd year postgraduate student, General Physics Department, Tver State University
  • Alexander S. Antonov – Ph. D., Researcher, Tver State University
  • Sergey A. Vasilyev – Ph. D., Docent, Applied Physics Department, Researcher, Management of Scientific Research, Tver State University
  • Nickolay B. Kuz’min – 1st year postgraduate student, General Physics Department, Tver State University
  • Nickolay Yu.. Sdobnyakov – Dr. Sc., Docent, Professor, General Physics Department, Tver State University

For citation:

Anofriev V.A., Antonov A.S., Vasilyev S.A., Kuz’min N.B., Sdobnyakov N.Yu.. Sravnitelnyj analiz protsessa formirovaniya fraktalnykh metallicheskikh plenok: atomisticheskoe modelirovanie [Comparative analysis of the process of formation of fractal metal films: atomistic simulation], Fiziko-khimicheskie aspekty izucheniya klasterov, nanostruktur i nanomaterialov [Physical and chemical aspects of the study of clusters, nanostructures and nanomaterials], 2025, issue 17, pp. 339-352. DOI: 10.26456/pcascnn/2025.17.339.

Full article (in Russian): download PDF file

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