Abstract
Growth on vicinal surfaces typically occurs via nucleation and growth of islands or via step flow. In this letter, we present computational results based on an island dynamics model that employs the level-set technique that study the transition between these two competing mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that the rate of diffusion of atoms along step edges is an additional parameter that controls the competition between these mechanisms. We make suggestions about how one might be able to exploit these results experimentally.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 141901 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-3 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
Volume | 87 |
Issue number | 14 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 3 2005 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)