Nanoparticles dynamics on a surface: fractal pattern formation and fragmentation

In this paper we review our recent results on the formation and the post-growth relaxation processes of nanofractals on surface. For this study we developed a method which describes the internal dynamics of particles in a fractal and accounts for their diffusion and detachment. We demonstrate that these kinetic processes determine the final shape of the islands on surface after post-growth relaxation. We consider different scenarios of fractal relaxation and analyze the time evolution of the island's morphology.