An adatom is an atom that lies on a crystal surface, and can be thought of as the opposite of a surface vacancy. This term is used in surface chemistry and epitaxy, when describing single atoms lying on surfaces and surface roughness. The word is a portmanteau of "adsorbed atom". A single atom, a cluster of atoms, or a molecule or cluster of molecules may all be referred to by the general term "adparticle". This is often a thermodynamically unfavorable state. However, cases such as graphene may provide counter-examples.[1]
- ^ Marian A. Herman; Wolfgang Richter; Helmut Sitter (2004). Epitaxy: Physical Principles and Technical Implementation. Springer. p. 322. ISBN 3-540-67821-2.