Grain nucleation-growth process

The electrodeposited TiAl3 described above displays crystallographic features of distinctly different length scales. The deposit grain size is on the order of 0.1 to 0.5 pm while the Ll2 domain size is on the order of 5-10 nm. The domains appear to have grown through a first order nucleation and growth process that is independent... 

In summary, a vacuum-based process must be capable of enhancing catalyst activity at the palladium surface, perhaps by atomic displacement, and of optimizing diffusion pathways, perhaps by formation of small grains and many grain boundaries. Finally, the film nucleation and growth process must favor production of a thin but pin-hole free film and avoidance of island formation known as Volmer-Weber growth. 

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