In situ atomic scale visualization of surface kinetics driven dynamics of oxide growth on a Ni–Cr surface†
Abstract
We report the in situ atomic-scale visualization of the dynamic three-dimensional growth of NiO during the initial oxidation of Ni–10at%Cr using environmental transmission electron microscopy. A step-by-step adatom growth mechanism in 3D is observed and a change in the surface planes of growing oxide islands can be induced by local surface kinetic variations.