Dynamic scaling of the submonolayer island size distribution during self-assembled monolayer growth

摘要: In situ atomic force microscope observations of the formation octadecylphosphonic acid monolayers, deposited from solution onto mica, indicate that growth proceeds via nucleation, growth, and coalescence densely packed submonolayer islands adsorbate molecules. Three regimes are observed: (1) an initial regime where nucleation new is significant, (2) aggregation essentially stops existing grow, (3) a individual merge, resulting in fewer islands. analogy with vapor phase thin-film deposition (such as molecular-beam epitaxy) island size distribution predicted to show dynamic scaling behavior, indicating at given time, only one length scale present. We explicitly verify this assumption, showing distributions, over range surface coverage 0.06--0.17, can be collapsed into single dimensionless function by theoretically relationships. The shape implies Ostwald ripening not significant factor critical nucleus \ensuremath{\leqslant}2