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We use molecular dynamics (MD) based on the modified embedded atom method (MEAM) to determine diffusion coefficients and migration pathways for Ti and N adatoms (Ti ad and N ad ) on TiN(111). The reliability of the classical model-potential is verified by comparison with density functional theory (DFT) results at 0 K. MD simulations carried out at temperatures between 600 and 1800 K show that both Ti ad and N ad favor fcc surface sites and migrate among them by passing through metastable hcp positions. We find that N ad species are considerably more mobile than Ti ad on TiN(111); contrary to our previous results on TiN(001). In addition, we show that lattice vibrations at finite temperatures strongly modify the potential energy landscape and result in smaller adatom migration energies, E a = 1.03 for Ti ad and 0.61 eV for N ad , compared to 0 K values E a0K = 1.55 (Ti ad ) and 0.79 eV (N ad ). We also demonstrate that the inclusion of dipole corrections, neglected in previous DFT calculations, is necessary in order to obtain the correct formation energies for polar surfaces such as TiN(111). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown both experimentally and by density functional theory calculations that the primary diffusing species during the epitaxial growth of TiN/TiN(001) are Ti and N adatoms together with TiN x complexes (x = 1, 2, 3), in which the dominant N-containing admolecule species depends upon the incident N/Ti flux ratio. Here, we employ classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations to probe the dynamics of TiN x (x = 1–3) admolecules on 8 × 8 atom square, single-atom-high TiN islands on TiN(001), as well as pathways for descent over island edges. The simulations are carried out at 1000 K, a reasonable epitaxial growth temperature. We find that despite their lower mobility on infinite TiN(001) terraces, both TiN and TiN 2 admolecules funnel toward descending steps and are incorporated into island edges more rapidly than Ti adatoms. On islands, TiN diffuses primarily via concerted translations, but rotation is the preferred diffusion mechanism on infinite terraces. TiN 2 migration is initiated primarily by rotation about one of the N admolecule atoms anchored at an epitaxial site. TiN admolecules descend from islands by direct hopping over edges and by edge exchange reactions, while TiN 2 trimers descend exclusively by hopping. In contrast, TiN 3 admolecules are essentially stationary and serve as initiators for local island growth. Ti adatoms are the fastest diffusing species on infinite TiN(001) terraces, but on small TiN/TiN(001) islands, TiN dimers provide more efficient mass transport. The overall results reveal the effect of the N/Ti precursor flux ratio on TiN(001) surface morphological evolution and growth modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ab initio and classical molecular dynamics (AIMD and CMD) simulations reveal that Ti adatoms on TiN(001) surfaces migrate between neighboring fourfold hollow sites primarily along in-plane <100> channels. <100> and <110> single jumps, as well as <100> double jump rates, obtained directly from MD runs as a function of temperature, are used to determine diffusion activation energies Ea, and attempt frequencies A, for the three preferred Ti adatom migration pathways on TiN(001). From transition rates Aexp[−Ea /(kBT)], we determine adatom surface distribution probabilities as a function of time, which are used to calculate adatom diffusion coefficients Ds(T). AIMD and CMD predictions are consistent and complementary. Using CMD, we investigate the effect on the adatom jump rate of varying the phonon wavelength degrees of freedom by progressively increasing the supercell size. We find that long-wavelength phonons significantly contribute to increasing adatom mobilities at temperatures ≤600K, but not at higher temperatures. Finally, by directly tracking the Ti adatom mean-square displacement during CMD runs, we find that Ti adatom jumps are highly correlated on TiN(001), an effect that yields lower Ds values (Ds corr) than those estimated from uncorrelated transition probabilities. The temperature-dependent diffusion coefficient is Ds corr (T)=(4.5×10−4 cm2 s−1) exp[−0.55eV/(kBT)]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory show that N adatoms are chemisorbed in threefold sites close to a N surface atom and between the two diagonally opposed neighboring Ti surface atoms on TiN(001). The most probable N adatom reaction pathway, even in the presence of nearby N adatoms, is for the N adatom and N surface atom pair to first undergo several exchange reactions and then desorb as a N2 molecule, resulting in a surface anion vacancy, with an activation barrier E des of 1.37eV and an attempt frequency A des =3.4×1013 s−1. E des is essentially equal to the N adatom surface diffusion barrier, Es =1.39eV, while As is only three to four times larger than A des, indicating that isolated N adatoms migrate for only short distances prior to N2 desorption. The probability of N2 desorption via recombination of N adatoms on TiN(001) is much lower due to repulsive adatom/adatom interactions at separations less than ~3Å which rapidly increase to ~2eV at a separation of 1.5Å. We obtain good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the above results using the modified embedded atom method potential to perform classical molecular dynamics simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We use classical molecular dynamics and the modified embedded atom method to determine residence times and descent pathways of Ti and N adatoms on square, single-atom-high, TiN islands on TiN(001). Simulations are carried out at 1000K, which is within the optimal range for TiN(001) epitaxial growth. Results show that the frequency of descent events, and overall adatom residence times, depend strongly on both the TiN(001) diffusion barrier for each species as well as the adatom island-edge location immediately prior to descent. Ti adatoms, with a low diffusion barrier, rapidly move toward the island periphery, via funneling, where they diffuse along upper island edges. The primary descent mechanism for Ti adatoms is via push-out/exchange with Ti island-edge atoms, a process in which the adatom replaces an island edge atom by moving down while pushing the edge atom out onto the terrace to occupy an epitaxial position along the island edge. Double push-out events are also observed for Ti adatoms descending at N corner positions. N adatoms, with a considerably higher diffusion barrier on TiN(001), require much longer times to reach island edges and, consequently, have significantly longer residence times. N adatoms are found to descend onto the terrace by direct hopping over island edges and corner atoms, as well as by concerted push-out/exchange with N atoms adjacent to Ti corners. For both adspecies, we also observe several complex adatom/island interactions, before and after descent onto the terrace, including two instances of Ti island-atom ascent onto the island surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We perform large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of TiN deposition at 1200 K on TiN substrates consisting of under-stoichiometric (N/Ti = 0.86) misoriented grains. The energy of incoming Ti atoms is 2 eV and that of incoming N atoms is 10 eV. The simulations show that misoriented grains are reoriented during the early stages of growth, after which the film grows 001 epitaxially and is nearly stoichiometric. The grain reorientation coincides with an increase in film N/Ti ratio. As the grains reorient, additional nitrogen can no longer be accommodated, and the film composition becomes stoichiometric as the overlayer grows epitaxially. • Classical MD is used to model TiN deposition on misoriented grains. • Misoriented grains are reoriented in the early stages of deposition. • The grain reorientation coincides with an increase in the film N/Ti ratio. • The resulting film is epitaxial and stoichiometric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use embedded-atom molecular dynamics simulations to follow the dynamics of adatoms, vacancies, and adatom/vacancy pairs on two-dimensional hexagonal Pt19 clusters on Pt(1 1 1) surfaces at 1000 K. All configurations are found to be quite stable and have essentially the same migration mobilities as compact hexagonal clusters. However, the presence of a single vacancy dramatically decreases the lifetime of an adatom on the cluster by a factor of three. This occurs primarily through an enhancement of the rate of push-out/exchange reactions at the outer cluster edge resulting from vacancy-induced softening of edge atom bonds. Overall, adatoms in the presence of vacancies descend to the terrace via vacancy filling 10% of the time, and through reactions with outer cluster edges the remaining 90%. Direct vacancy filling mechanisms are analogous to, and have similar activation energies with, those at outer cluster edges: adatom hopping over descending steps and push-out/exchange reactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]