Thermal Stability: Atomic Cohesive Energy

Abstract

Critical temperature for phase transition depends on the atomic cohesive energy that is the product of bond number and bond energy. The skin of a solid generally melts prior to the bulk (supercooling) and some interfaces melt at temperatures higher than the bulk melting point (superheating). Group IIIa and IVa atomic clusters show superheating because of the bond nature evolution. A dual-shell model describes the T C for ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and superconductive phase transitions because of the involvement of both the long- and the short-range interactions. Activation energy for diffusion and epitaxial growth is proportional to the atomic cohesive energy; growing temperature controls the crystal size and associated properties.