Spiral growth limited by surface kinetics a self-consistent model

A one-dimensional Stefan problem describing growth limited by surface proce sses is set and the time evolution of a spiral growing hillock calculated. The model is self-consistent in the sense that the critical surface supersa turation for the production of a new step, the slope and the growth rate of the hillock, strictly depend on a set of phenomenological parameters descr ibing diffusion and matter exchange at the steps. The quasi-steady states c alculated for several sets of values of the parameters, art illustrated and compared with classical models. Some criteria are proposed to correlate th e features of the growth hillocks and the steps rates, to the kinetics. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.