Dynamics of irreversible island growth during submonolayer epitaxy

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.50.6057· OSTI ID:7072081

Bales, G S; Chrzan, D C ^[1]

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1. Computational Materials Science Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94551-0969 (United States)

The nucleation and growth of two-dimensional islands during the submonolayer stage of epitaxial growth is studied with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and mean-field rate equations. Previous work on irreversible growth is extended to include relaxation of island shapes by edge diffusion. Island morphologies range from ramified structures at low temperatures to compact, polygonal shapes at higher temperatures. Using a self-consistent calculation of the rate coefficients, [ital quantitative] agreement is obtained between the solution to coupled, mean-field rate equations and the simulation results for average quantities. The island size distribution function is described by a single universal scaling function.'' The average island size is the only important scale for determining island densities. It is shown that the general form of the scaling [ital ansatz] applies to wider range of coverages than anticipated previously. This scaling form is combined with the solution to the rate equations to explore explicitly the [ital D]/[ital F] dependence of the number density of islands ([ital D] is the surface diffusion coefficient and [ital F] is the deposition flux).

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 7072081
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States) Vol. 50:9; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

665000* -- Physics of Condensed Matter-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CALCULATION METHODS
EPITAXY
ISLANDS
MEAN-FIELD THEORY
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NUCLEATION
SCALING
SELF-CONSISTENT FIELD