Stabilization of strained alloy film growth by a difference in atomic mobilities

We analyze the development of compositional and surface nonuniformities dur ing the growth of strained alloy films, for the case of different surface m obilities of the alloy components. We find that a difference in surface mob ilities can completely suppress the stress-driven morphological instability . The stabilization occurs under compressive misfit when one atomic species is both large and fast relative to the other, and similarly under tensile misfit when one species is small and fast. (C) 2000 American Institute of P hysics. [S0003-6951(00)01121-9].