Instabilities of steps induced by the drift of adatoms and effect of the step permeability

Citation
M. Sato et al., Instabilities of steps induced by the drift of adatoms and effect of the step permeability, PHYS REV B, 62(12), 2000, pp. 8452-8472
Citations number
51
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
PHYSICAL REVIEW B
ISSN journal
01631829 → ACNP
Volume
62
Issue
12
Year of publication
2000
Pages
8452 - 8472
Database
ISI
SICI code
0163-1829(20000915)62:12<8452:IOSIBT>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
We theoretically study step wandering and step bunching induced by the drif t of adatoms with attention to the permeability of steps. The critical drif t velocity to induce the instability is calculated, and Monte Carlo simulat ion is performed to test the linear analysis. In sublimation, when the step distance is small in comparison with the surface diffusion length, the wan dering and bunching of steps can occur simultaneously with the step-down dr ift if steps are impermeable. The instabilities do not occur simultaneously if steps are permeable: the bunching occurs with the step-up drift, and th e wandering with the step-down drift. In growth, when the step distance is small, the bunching occurs with the step-down drift and the step wandering occurs with the step-up drift irrespective of the permeability, in agreemen t with Metois and Stoyanov [Surf. Sci. 440, 407 (1999)]. The change of the permeability with increasing temperature can explain the instabilities obse rved in Si(111) vicinal face [M. Degawa et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys 38, L308 (1999)].