Dynamics of growth roughening and smoothening on Ge (001)

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.584744· OSTI ID:6335129

Chason, E; Tsao, J Y; Horn, K M; Picraux, S T

We present reflection high-energy electron diffraction measurements of the evolution of surface morphology during molecular-beam epitaxy of Ge on Ge(001) and subsequent annealing. We find that there is a critical ''kinetic roughening'' temperature (375 /sup 0/C) above which a smooth surface remains smooth during growth, but below which it roughens during growth. Surprisingly, smooth starting surfaces never appear to roughen without bound, but reach steady-state roughnesses which depend on temperature and deposition rate. The results can be fit empirically with simple phenomenological equations based on a competition between growth roughening and growth smoothening of a ''pseudo-statistical'' surface. Furthermore, growth-roughened surfaces tend to smoothen, after growth, at a rate consistent with a third-order power-law ripening mechanism.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185
• OSTI ID: 6335129
• Journal Information: J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B; (United States), Journal Name: J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B; (United States) Vol. 7:2; ISSN JVTBD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601* -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
360602 -- Other Materials-- Structure & Phase Studies
ANNEALING
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
EPITAXY
GERMANIUM
HEAT TREATMENTS
METALS
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
MORPHOLOGY
ROUGHNESS
SCATTERING
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE