Dynamics of growth roughening and smoothening on Ge (001)

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6570317

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 ''growth roughening'' temperature (375 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 an Ostwald-like ripening mechanism. 4 figs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6570317
• Report Number(s): SAND-88-1580C; CONF-8809196-1; ON: DE89003611
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
360102 -- Metals & Alloys-- Structure & Phase Studies
ANNEALING
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
DYNAMICS
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
EPITAXY
GERMANIUM
HEAT TREATMENTS
MECHANICS
METALS
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ROUGHNESS
SCATTERING
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE