Insights into growth mechanism of silver halide tabular crystals: Cubo-octahedral side faces

The nature and the geometry of the side-faces of the silver halide tabular crystal are considered from a theoretical point of view. The previously held view of the octahedral nature of the side-faces is modified to include other non-{111} planes, notably the {100} planes. Some of the predicted side-face geometries based on the cubo-octahedral planes are supported by the experimental evidence presented. The existence of perpetually growing high-aspect-ratio tabular crystals with a single twin plane is predicted and experimentally verified. Alternative explanations are offered for the tabular crystal growth patterns revealed by the luminescence banding technique. Some of the mechanistic aspects of the published mechanisms are also discussed.