MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF STRAINED FILMS BY COOPERATIVE NUCLEATION

Authors
JESSON DE CHEN KM PENNYCOOK SJ THUNDAT T WARMACK RJ
Citation
De. Jesson et al., MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF STRAINED FILMS BY COOPERATIVE NUCLEATION, Physical review letters, 77(7), 1996, pp. 1330-1333
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
Physical review letters → ACNP
ISSN journal
00319007
Volume
77
Issue
7
Year of publication
1996
Pages
1330 - 1333
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-9007(1996)77:7<1330:MEOSFB>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
We identify a new mechanism of stress driven surface morphological evo lution in strained semiconductor films. Surface roughness forms by a c ooperative mechanism involving the sequential nucleation of islands an d pits, which is distinct from the conventional view of ripple formati on as an Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld (ATG) instability. This mechanism is op erative both during annealing and growth and competes with the ATG ins tability as a kinetic pathway to ripple formation.