Dislocation creates 'whirlpool' that pulls surface atoms into crystal

6/7/04 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Developing novel ways to control the motion of atoms on surfaces is essential for the future of nanotechnology. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a phenomenon of dislocation-driven nucleation and growth that creates holes that spiral into a surface and pull atoms into crystalline solids.

The newly discovered mechanism – identified as a series of spiral steps around dislocations terminating at the surface of titanium nitride, a technologically important material used in microelectronics and hard coatings – could potentially be put to use in controlling surface morphology and in preparing nanoscale structures on surfaces.

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<p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news160.html">Dislocation creates 'whirlpool' that pulls surface atoms into crystal</a></p> <p>6/7/04 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Developing novel ways to control the motion of atoms on surfaces is essential for the future of nanotechnology. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a phenomenon of dislocation-driven nucleation and growth that creates holes that spiral into a surface and pull atoms into crystalline solids. <br /> <br />The newly discovered mechanism – identified as a series of spiral steps around dislocations terminating at the surface of titanium nitride, a technologically important material used in microelectronics and hard coatings – could potentially be put to use in controlling surface morphology and in preparing nanoscale structures on surfaces. <br /> <br /></p>