Past exam of the MPhil in micro- and nanotechnology enterprise course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / Paper 2 / Section A(i) / 13 / i / Solution

A faceted, approximately equiaxed crystal is indicated. A truncated octahedron bounded by low-energy $\{111\}$ and $\{100\}$ facets is a plausible three-dimensional shape for an fcc metal particle; the hexagonal section alone does not uniquely distinguish it from other faceted polyhedra.

The Wulff construction minimizes ${\sum }_i{\gamma }_i{A}_i$ at fixed particle volume. Place a plane with normal ${\hat{\mathbf{n}}}_i$ a distance $h_i=C{\gamma }_i$ from a common centre and take the inner envelope. Low-surface-energy orientations survive as large facets. Annealing permits diffusion toward this equilibrium morphology, provided the time is sufficient. For a supported or strained alloy, substrate adhesion and elastic energy modify this simple free-particle construction.