Abstract.In a scratching AFM experiment, the continuous passage of a sharp tip produces a flux of adatoms stripped off by their initial locations. Such flux has as secondary effect the formation of self-assembling processes such as ordered small atomic clusters, dots or larger corse-grained mounds. In this paper, we suggest a continuum approach based theory that should capture the basic mechanisms producing the formation of such structures. The accurate knowledge of such self-assembled structures is important for two main reasons. First one, looking at the self-assembled structures it should be possible to have an indirect measure of the incidence of the wear basic mechanims involved during the AFM scratching test. Second one, the patterned structures produced could be used as a base for eventually mature growth processes.

Received: August 14, 2008

AMS Subject Classification: 35E05, 35Q99

Key Words and Phrases: wear, growth processes, self-assembly

Source: International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
ISSN: 1311-8080
Year: 2009
Volume: 50
Issue: 2