DIFFUSION AND ELEMENTARY ATOMIC PROCESSES AT STEEPED SURFACES

The mobility of atoms at and near lattice step edges plays an importan t role in epitaxial growth and surface morphology of thin films, and t he dynamic behavior of surfaces at elevated temperature. We summarize our recent FIM studies on how atoms move and bind at step edges, how a toms can descend and ascend lattice steps, how in-layer atoms can move up to the upper terrace, and how these atomic processes are related t o various growth structures in thin film epitaxy.