Formation pattern of fractal relief for nanosized molybdenum films

Abstract

Some patterns of formation of the fractal relief of nanosized molybdenum films on the mica surface are considered using the atomic force microscopy. The tools and techniques for post-processing and analyzing 2D images acquired through this specific research methodology have been thoroughly investigated. The significance of the contributions of errors and uncertainties to the final outcome of the acquired data is discussed. Additionally, a threshold detection method was applied to analyze the fractal dimension, allowing for the identification of areas of interest and exclusion of noise components, as well as regions not having scientific significance. The fractal dimension of the obtained agglomerates was determined at various scales, ranging from 0,5 to 3 µm. The next value Dc = 2,19 and Dc = 2,45 were obtained for the original images; Dc = 2,13 and Dc = 2,45, respectively, for the images processed using the threshold detection method. The obtained data provide prospects for further research and development of novel methods for synthesizing materials with specific properties.

Keywords

• atomic force microscopy
• magnetron sputtering
• fractal dimension
• molybdenum films
• software