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Characterizing Equilibrium in Epitaxial Growth

Published

Author(s)

Paul N. Patrone, Russel Caflisch, Dionisios Margetis

Abstract

Using a kinetic model of epitaxial growth, we describe how geometry controls kinetic pathways through which external deposition influences the state of a vicinal surface. The state of the surface is determined by three key, adjustable parameters: the local step angle, Peclet number P, and single bond detachment rate b. By scaling arguments in P, we find three steady state regimes: In one regime, detailed balance approximately holds, so that the system is near equilibrium. In the other two regimes, geometric e ffects compete with deposition as the system is driven progressively out of equilibrium. Our analytical results are in excellent agreement with those of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations.
Citation
Europhysics Letters
Volume
97
Issue
4

Keywords

Kinetic Steady state, detailed balance, epitaxial growth, geometric control

Citation

Patrone, P. , Caflisch, R. and Margetis, D. (2012), Characterizing Equilibrium in Epitaxial Growth, Europhysics Letters, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=909660 (Accessed April 23, 2024)
Created February 20, 2012, Updated February 19, 2017