Nucleation Behaviour in the Initial Stage of Surfactant-Mediated Epitaxial Growth
WANG Dai-Mu1, SUN Xia1, DING Ze-Jun1, WU Zi-Qin2
1Structure Research Laboratory and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei 230026
2Department of Astronomy and Applied Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026
Nucleation Behaviour in the Initial Stage of Surfactant-Mediated Epitaxial Growth
WANG Dai-Mu1;SUN Xia1;DING Ze-Jun1;WU Zi-Qin2
1Structure Research Laboratory and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei 230026
2Department of Astronomy and Applied Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026
Abstract： The nucleation kinetics in the early stage of epitaxial growth mediated by a monolayer of surfactant is studied by using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Our simulation model includes three main kinetic parameters: a small barrier for adatom diffusion on the surfactant terrace, a higher barrier for the exchange of adatoms with their underneath surfactant atoms, and a highest barrier for the recovery exchange in which an exchanged adatom resurfaces to the top of the surfactant layer. The simulations reveal a distinct transition of nucleation behaviour as the different atomic processes are activated successively with increasing temperature. The total nucleus density as a function of temperature exhibits a complex N-shape with a minimum and a maximum, which define the transition temperatures. The characteristic behaviour of nucleation density is helpful to rationalize the experimental observations on the temperature dependence of growth mode in some surfactant-mediated epitaxial systems.
WANG Dai-Mu;SUN Xia;DING Ze-Jun;WU Zi-Qin. Nucleation Behaviour in the Initial Stage of Surfactant-Mediated Epitaxial Growth[J]. 中国物理快报, 2004, 21(10): 2029-2032.
WANG Dai-Mu, SUN Xia, DING Ze-Jun, WU Zi-Qin. Nucleation Behaviour in the Initial Stage of Surfactant-Mediated Epitaxial Growth. Chin. Phys. Lett., 2004, 21(10): 2029-2032.
2004, Vol. 21 
