Desorption and crystallization kinetics in nanoscale thin films of amorphous water ice

• Published in: Surface science Vol. 367; no. 1; pp. L13 - L18
• Main Authors: Scott Smith, R., Huang, C., Wong, E.K.L., Kay, Bruce D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 10.11.1996; Amsterdam Elsevier Science; New York, NY
• Subjects: Amorphous thin films; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Crystallization; Evaporation and sublimation; Exact sciences and technology; Phase transitions and critical phenomena; Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic; Physics; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Solid-fluid interfaces; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thermal desorption; Water; Water; Thermal desorption; Evaporation and sublimation; Amorphous thin films; Crystallization; Thin films; Nanometer scale; Desorption; Ice; Amorphous state; Evaporation; Experimental study; Substrates
• ISSN: 0039-6028; 1879-2758
• DOI: 10.1016/S0039-6028(96)00943-0

The amorphous to crystalline ice phase transition is studied by measuring the water desorption rate from nanoscale thin films of water vapor deposited on Au(111) and Ru(001) single crystal metallic substrates. The desorption kinetics are substrate dependent and suggest strongly that the film morphology is governed by the hydrophilicity of the substrate. The crystallization kinetics are independent of substrate but depend strongly on both temperature and film thickness and are consistent with a spatially random nucleation and isotropic growth model.