Importance of Threading Dislocations on the Motion of Domain Boundaries in Thin Films

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 308; no. 5726; pp. 1303 - 1305
• Main Authors: Gabaly, Farid El, Ling, Wai Li W, McCarty, Kevin F, de la Figuera, Juan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 27.05.2005; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Atoms; Boundaries; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Copper; Crystals; Dielectric films; Domain structure; Domain structure (Ferromagnetism); electron microscopy; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; films (materials); Kinetics; Material films; Microstructure; Physics; Properties; Rotation; Ruthenium; Structure and morphology; thickness; Sulfur; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Thin films; Threading dislocations; United Kingdom; Thin films; Low energy electron microscopy; Domain structure; Transition elements; Dislocation structure; Domain wall motion; Copper; Screw dislocations; Defects
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1109889

Thin films often present domain structures whose detailed evolution is a subject of debate. We analyze the evolution of copper films, which contain both rotational and stacking domains, on ruthenium. Real-time observation by low-energy electron microscopy shows that the stacking domains evolve in a seemingly complex way. Not only do the stacking boundaries move in preferred directions, but their motion is extremely uneven and they become stuck when they reach rotational boundaries. We show that this behavior occurs because the stacking-boundary motion is impeded by threading dislocations. This study underscores how the coarse-scale evolution of thin films can be controlled by defects.