A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Solid Surfaces, Their Structure and Composition
Abstract Awareness of the important role played by surfaces in technology has existed for some time, although it is only in the past three decades that we have been able to establish an improved understanding of their properties. In everyday life our perceptions of solid materials, and in particular their surfaces, are strongly distorted by the limitations of visible light. These wavelengths are a thousand times larger than dimensions of the surface region in which well understood bulk properties of materials break down, making way for the transitional interface with another phase, which may be gaseous, liquid or solid. Such are the alteration of bulk properties, structural and compositional, that it is not unreasonable to consider surfaces as an additional phase of matter [1.2]. Whilst this may serve as a useful general concept for surface scientists, in the various fields of technological endeavour what is thought of as a surface varies enormously, particularly in depth characterisation. Accepting the simplest definition of the surface, as the boundary defined by the outermost atomic layer separating the bulk solid from an adjacent phase, is thus inadequate in the area of practical surface technology. A more meaningful approach is to consider a selvedge layer of variable depth. In fact, the different depth regimes of the surface are defined by that depth which actually plays the definitive role in the technological application (see Table 1.1). Obviously the boundaries between these surface selvedge depths are not always clear and overlap will exist between adjacent categories.
Solid Surfaces, Their Structure and Composition
Abstract Awareness of the important role played by surfaces in technology has existed for some time, although it is only in the past three decades that we have been able to establish an improved understanding of their properties. In everyday life our perceptions of solid materials, and in particular their surfaces, are strongly distorted by the limitations of visible light. These wavelengths are a thousand times larger than dimensions of the surface region in which well understood bulk properties of materials break down, making way for the transitional interface with another phase, which may be gaseous, liquid or solid. Such are the alteration of bulk properties, structural and compositional, that it is not unreasonable to consider surfaces as an additional phase of matter [1.2]. Whilst this may serve as a useful general concept for surface scientists, in the various fields of technological endeavour what is thought of as a surface varies enormously, particularly in depth characterisation. Accepting the simplest definition of the surface, as the boundary defined by the outermost atomic layer separating the bulk solid from an adjacent phase, is thus inadequate in the area of practical surface technology. A more meaningful approach is to consider a selvedge layer of variable depth. In fact, the different depth regimes of the surface are defined by that depth which actually plays the definitive role in the technological application (see Table 1.1). Obviously the boundaries between these surface selvedge depths are not always clear and overlap will exist between adjacent categories.
Solid Surfaces, Their Structure and Composition
Klauber, C. (author) / Smart, R. St. C. (author)
1992-01-01
63 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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