Epitaxial growth is a fundamental process in materials science that allows the creation of thin films with controlled properties. Traditionally, epitaxy is carried out on crystalline substrates, where the lattice periodicity ensures the ordered deposition of atoms. However, in recent years, the attention of researchers has been attracted by the use of quasi-crystalline substrates, which open up new horizons for epitaxial growth.
Quasicrystals, which have long-range order but no periodic structure, represent a unique platform for epitaxial growth. Unlike crystalline substrates, quasicrystals offer a wide range of interatomic distances and local environments, allowing the creation of thin films with unusual properties.
One of the most interesting areas is the growth of continuous films on quasi-crystalline substrates. Due to the aperiodicity of the substrate, the process of film growth on quasi-crystals differs significantly from traditional epitaxy. The formation of continuous films requires overcoming the mismatch between the structure of the film and the substrate, which leads to the formation of complex defects and distortions.
Studies show that under certain conditions, such as substrate temperature, deposition rate, and film material composition, epitaxial growth can be achieved to form continuous films on quasicrystalline substrates. These films have unique structural and electronic properties that can be used in a variety of applications, such as catalysis, sensorics, and optoelectronics.
Further research in this area is aimed at optimizing the conditions of epitaxial growth and developing new materials for creating continuous films on quasi-crystalline substrates with specified properties. This opens the way to creating new functional materials with unique characteristics.
This paper presents an analysis of studies devoted to the formation of thin layers on quasi-periodic substrates. The atomistic structure of quasi-crystalline surfaces is described and analyzed in detail in comparison with volumetric structural models. Various systems on which experiments on thin-film growth were previously conducted are covered. The emphasis is placed on studying the nucleation processes of solid films, the patterns of their growth depending on the type of deposited metal, the probability of mixing or alloy formation at the interface, and epitaxial bonds at the crystal-quasicrystal boundaries. In addition, cases are considered where the deposited elements form a quasi-periodic structure, which deepens the understanding of the relationship between quasi-periodicity and the physical properties of such materials with complex composition and structure.
Author: V. Fournet, P. A. Til
Institute: AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Metalworking and Industrial Computer Science, ul. A. Mickiewicza 30, PL-30059 Krakow, Poland