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Atomically Defined Templates for Epitaxial Growth of Complex Oxide Thin Films
Published on: December 4, 2014
Level set approach to reversible epitaxial growth.
M Petersen1, C Ratsch, R E Caflisch
1School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|December 12, 2001
Summary
This study introduces a new model for epitaxial growth that includes atom detachment, allowing islands to shrink. The model accurately predicts island density and size distributions compared to simulations.
Area of Science:
- Surface Science
- Materials Science
- Computational Physics
Background:
- Epitaxial growth is crucial for thin film fabrication.
- Existing models often assume islands only grow.
- Understanding atom detachment is key to controlling film morphology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generalize the level set method for epitaxial growth.
- To incorporate thermal atom detachment from island edges.
- To model island dissociation without assuming a critical nucleus.
Main Methods:
- Generalization of the level set approach.
- Inclusion of thermal detachment kinetics.
- Comparison with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations.
Main Results:
- Islands can now dissociate, not just grow.
- The model shows excellent quantitative agreement with simulations.
- Accurate predictions for island densities and size distributions were achieved.
Conclusions:
- The generalized level set model accurately captures submonolayer epitaxial growth dynamics.
- Thermal detachment is a critical factor in island evolution.
- This approach provides a powerful tool for simulating thin film growth.
