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Skewed Height Distributions of Kinetically Roughened Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

P. Kleban ,
J. Krim  and
C. Ruffing
P. Kleban
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Maine LASST, University of Maine
J. Krim
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Northeastern University
C. Ruffing
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Maine
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Abstract

We examine height distribution functions (height histograms) of kinetically roughened metal films, making use of STM data for vapor-deposited Ag on quartz. The height distribution of the raw data is Gaussian to quite high accuracy. However, if one averages each height over a region of length scale L, the resulting distributions deviate increasingly from Gaussian behavior, becoming skewed as L increases. We quantified this behavior by means of moments of the distribution; with increasing L a non-negligible third moment appears. The responsible morphology is minima that tend to form steep valleys or deep pits while the corresponding (at the same height above the average) maxima tend to form rounded hilltops. Skewed height distributions have been predicted on the basis of model calculations, but not previously observed to our knowledge.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 440: Symposia CA – Structure and Evolution of Surfaces , 1996 , 311
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

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