Frank-van der Merwe layer

Cu deposited onto Ru(0001) at 100K grows in 2-d islands via a Frank-van der Merwe (layer by layer growth) mechanism up to 2 ML. The island sizes but not the basic growth mode are altered by a post-deposition anneal at 900 K. 

Figure 3.7 Three models of film growth (a) Frank-van der Merwe, layer by layer (b) Volmer-Weber, islands (c) Stranski-Krastanov, combination of layer by layer and islands.

Frank van der Merwe mode The atoms are deposited on the substrate layer by layer. 

Layer-by-layer Mode (Frank- Van Der Merwe Mode)... 

For multilayer coverage one can distinguish three growth modes island (Vol-mer-Weber), layer-plus-islands (Stranski-Krastanov), and layer-by-layer (Frank-van-der-Merwe) growth. Thermodynamic reasoning can be used to relate the surface energies r im, and to these different growth... 

FIGURE 2.27. Equilibrium growth modes in epitaxy (a) layer-by-layer (Frank-van der Merwe) (b) layer plus island (Stranski-Krastanov) (c) island growth (V olmer-W eber). 

---