THE SIMULATION OF SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH BY MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY USING A KINETIC RATE-EQUATION MODEL

A computer simulation of Molecular Beam Epitaxial (MBE) growth under t ypical growth conditions is presented. The method is based on a soluti on of kinetic rate equations that govern the time dependence of the co ncentration of islands of varying sizes and differing heights on the t op of the surface during the MBE growth. The time dependence for the c overage of each monolayer (0) is calculated. The mode of the MBE growt h is determined by a calculation of the RHEED (Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction) intensity. A calculation of the Exposed Coverage (EC) (which is defined as the number of surface atoms in each layer u nscreened by other atoms directly above them) and the interface width (IW) (which determines the roughness of the growing surface) serves to confirm the growth mode of the MBE structure. The possible role of th ese type of calculations in determining the optimized growth condition s for the production of 2D growth in a general materials system is als o described.