Azimuthal orientational correlations due to excluded volume epitaxy in growing anisotropic grains

作者：Gido S P^*; Panday A

来源：Philosophical Magazine, 2009, 89(9): 771-787.

DOI：10.1080/14786430802629527

• azimuthal orientational correlations
• anisotropic grains
• block copolymer microstructure
• transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
• grain growth

The microstructure of anisotropically shaped grains can strongly influence a range of material properties, including transport, mechanical and electro-optical. A grain-structure-related phenomenon, known as excluded volume epitaxy (EVE), is reported in this study. EVE is a local, inter-grain orientational correlations effect, which results from a combination of continuous nucleation of anisotropic grains and impingement of growing grains. Due to EVE, anisotropically shaped grains have a tendency to be similarly aligned in a local neighbourhood, despite the absence of any forced global orientation in the sample. The effect has been repeatedly observed by the authors in block copolymers, as illustrated by a representative TEM image. Optical microscopy of anisotropically shaped non-polymeric crystals revealed the generality of this effect. The simulation study revealed a tendency for azimuthal, inter-grain orientational correlation and re-confirmed the experimental observation of EVE.

• 出版日期2009