Self-organized pattern formation in the oxidation of supported iron thin films. II. A simulation study

Abstract

The process of oxidation of supported iron thin films is modeled by casting it into the form of an activator-inhibitor system, with precursor oxidation state as the activator, and stress produced by the large density difference between the metal and its oxide as a fast-diffusing inhibitor. An activator-substrate mechanism also coexists due to the finite availability of iron. The redistribution of iron by diffusion via vacancies also indirectly contributes to the activation process. A slow process of ripening, which minimizes surface energy, is suggested to convert the early leaflike pattern to a spiral assembly of hillocks. This model simulation yields patterns, which closely resemble the patterns observed in experiments reported by Shinde et al. [Phys. Rev. B 64, 035408 (2001)], in the accompanying Paper I.