Rate equation models of epitaxial growth on stepped surfaces

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Abstract
We review the rate equation method of modeling epitaxial growth on a flat surface, where the predominant growth mode is via nucleation and growth of adatom islands. We apply a similar method to investigate the step-edge propagation growth mode on stepped (vicinal) surfaces. Unlike the intuitive picture of step-edge propagation whereby the surface morphology is invariant in a moving reference frame, results show oscillations in the step-edge positions about mean values (dependent on initial step-edge distribution). This could have important consequences in the growth of vertical superlattices. We have combined the two previous models to describe a more general case of growth, on stepped surfaces, where both nucleation through adatom islands and step-edge growth occur. Calculated reflection high-energy electron diffraction oscillations from this model will be compared with experimental results.

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