Step bombing with both directions of the current: Vicinal W(110) surfaces versus atomistic-scale model

Abstract

This study investigates the phenomenon of step bunching on vicinal W(110) surfaces under bidirectional electric current. Combining experimental surface morphology analyses with an atomistic Monte Carlo model, the authors identify key mechanisms driving step motion and clustering under opposite current directions. The findings demonstrate that competing electromigration forces can lead to distinctive intermediate morphologies and reveal asymmetries between upward and downward current-induced bunching behaviors.