Unique and Unusual Pattern Demonstrating the Crystal Growth through Bubble Formation

Abstract

Crystal growth occurs in nature in the form of snow flakes, igneous rocks, stalactites, stalagmites, etc., which sometimes arrest the growth pattern. The crystal growth in the lab or industry during a deposition process is generally evaluated by in situ microscopy techniques or by arresting the reaction at various time intervals. However, capturing the total growth process from the formation of nuclei to macrostructure is not easy. Here, we show a spontaneous formation of an unusual patterned growth during galvanic displacement of both gold and silver on silicon, wherein systematic concentric rings of 50–100 μm in diameter were formed at discrete places. The most striking pattern arrested the complete growth process from nuclei that formed the innermost concentric circle, to the formation of various network structures and dendrites, each forming separate circular patterns. The pattern formation was attributed to the bubble growth during the galvanic displacement reaction. We also compared the growth patte...