Step-flow growth on strained surfaces

Journal Article · Mon Oct 25 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Applied Physics Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.110522· OSTI ID:6032291

Ratsch, C; Zangwill, A ^[1]

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1. School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States)

A theoretical study is presented of the effect of misfit strain on the transition from step flow to island nucleation dominated epitaxial layer growth on a vicinal surface. The analysis generalizes a set of reaction-diffusion equations used for homoepitaxy to include the fact that heteroepitaxial strain changes the Arrhenius barrier for diffusion and promotes the detachment of atoms from the edge of strained terraces and islands. The first effect is equivalent to changing the deposition flux; the latter can drive the system into a new layer growth mode characterized by moving steps that engulf very many very small islands. Experiments to test these predictions are suggested.

• DOE Contract Number: FG05-88ER45369
• OSTI ID: 6032291
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters; (United States) Vol. 63:17; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601* -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DIFFUSION
EPITAXY
MATERIALS
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
STRAINS
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE PROPERTIES