Phase decomposition of a binary thin film on a patterned substrate

Two-dimensional simulations of phase decomposition in a binary thin film, which is deposited on a patterned substrate, are performed using the Cahn-Hilliard equation. Phase formation, growth, coarsening, and the resulting two-phase microstructure are strongly influenced by the substrate geometry, film composition, and surface effects. Patterning the substrate can result in the formation of self-organized structures of various sizes and spacings and may provide a method for developing monolayers of periodic nanostructures from an initially homogeneous alloy. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.