Abstract #

671

Edge Diffusion During Growth: Kink Ehrlich-Schwoebel Effect and Resulting Instabilities1

Session:

SS1+EM+NS-ThA7

Author(s)

Presenter

Correspond

O. Pierre-Louis; Univ. J. Fourier (CNRS), France

   

T.L. Einstein; University of Maryland

X

X

Abstract:

In addition to the usual step Ehrlich-Schwoebel effect (SESE) on typical metal and semiconductor surfaces, there can also be a kink Ehrlich-Schwoebel effect (KESE), associated with asymmetries in barriers at kinks/corners encountered by atoms during transport along step edges.2 We take into account both phenomena to study the evolution of arbitrarily oriented surfaces during molecular beam epitaxy. We find that the heretofore rarely discussed3 KESE has a profound effect on growth morphology. Under the usual growth conditions, KESE induces a new instability of vicinal surfaces, supplanting the familiar Bales-Zangwill instability4 due exclusively to SESE. The possibility of stable kink flow growth is analyzed; fluctuations can shift the stability threshold. For some orientations, KESE can stabilize steps. KESE can also induce mound formation.

1Work supported by NSF MRSEC grant DMR 96-32521.

2 O. Pierre-Louis, M. R. D'Orsogna, and T. L. Einstein, Phys. Rev. Lett. 82 (1999) 3661; note also M. V. Ramana Murty and B. H. Cooper, preprint.

3 See, however, I. L. Aleiner and R. A. Suris, Sov. Phys. Solid State 34 (1992) 809; Z. Zhang and M. G. Lagally, Science 276 (1997) 377; J. G. Amar, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 43 (1998) 851 and to be published.

4 G.S. Bales and A. Zangwill, Phys. Rev. B 41 (1990) 5500.

Note: Requested an Oral Session.