G. K. Singh et al 2005 Europhys. Lett. 70 836 doi:10.1209/epl/i2005-10039-9
G. K. Singh1, A. A. Golovin1, I. S. Aranson2 and V. M. Vinokur2
Show affiliationsA theory of the spontaneous formation of spatially regular hexagonal arrays of nanopores in aluminum oxide film growing during aluminum anodization is presented. Linear stability analysis shows that, in certain ranges of the applied voltage and electrolyte pH, the oxide film is unstable with respect to perturbations with a well-defined wavelength. The instability is caused by a positive feedback between the oxidation-dissolution rates and variations of electric field caused by perturbations of the metal-oxide and oxide-electrolyte interfaces. The competition between this instability and the stabilizing effects of the Laplace pressure and elastic stress provides the wavelength selection mechanism. The hexagonal ordering of pores results from the resonant quadratic nonlinear interaction of unstable modes.
Surfaces, interfaces and thin films
Nanoscale science and low-D systems
Issue 6 (June 2005)
Received 1 March 2005, accepted for publication 18 April 2005, in final form 18 April 2005
Published 11 May 2005
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