Growth on vicinal surfaces typically occurred via nucleation and growth of islands or via step flow. Computational results were presented here which were based upon an island dynamics model that employs the level-set technique that study the transition between these two competing mechanisms. The results demonstrated that the rate of diffusion of atoms along step edges was an additional parameter that controlled the competition between these mechanisms. Suggestions were made as to how it might be possible to exploit these results experimentally.

Influence of Edge Diffusion on the Growth Mode on Vicinal Surfaces. C.Ratsch, J.Garcia, R.E.Caflisch: Applied Physics Letters, 2005, 87[14], 141901 (3pp)