Abstract
We have investigated the kinetics of islanding during heteroepitaxy using a solid-on-solid Monte Carlo (SOS-MC) simulation. We simulate deposition by randomly depositing atoms onto a square grid with periodic boundary conditions. Arrhenius surface diffusion kinetics are dependent on the sum of a surface energy barrier (E d) and the number of nearest neighbors multiplied by an adatom interaction strength (E b). We confine growth to the first layer above the simple cubic substrate and investigate coverages < 1/2 monolayer. We monitor the evolution of film microstructure by producing island size distributions and plots which compare a cluster's area to perimeter ratio with that of a circle. We find that our simulation qualitatively correlates with results of classical film nucleation theory. A simple model is used to demonstrate the existence of a 'probabilistic nucleation barrier'.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Materials Research Society Symposium - Proceedings |
| Publisher | Materials Research Society |
| Pages | 53-58 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Volume | 399 |
| State | Published - 1996 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | Proceedings of the 1995 MRS Fall Meeting - Boston, MA, USA Duration: Nov 27 1995 → Dec 1 1995 |
Other
| Other | Proceedings of the 1995 MRS Fall Meeting |
|---|---|
| City | Boston, MA, USA |
| Period | 11/27/95 → 12/1/95 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials