Determination of the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier in epitaxial growth of thin films

Shao-Chun Li, Y. Han, Jin-Feng Jia, Qi-Kun Xue, and Feng Liu
Phys. Rev. B 74, 195428 – Published 22 November 2006

Abstract

We demonstrate an approach for determining the “effective” Ehrlich-Schwoebel (ES) step-edge barrier, an important kinetic constant to control the interlayer mass transport in epitaxial growth of thin films. The approach exploits the rate difference between the growth and/or decay of an adatom and a vacancy two-dimensional island, which allows the “effective” ES barrier to be determined uniquely by fitting with a single parameter. Application to growth of Pb islands produces an effective ES barrier of 83±10meV on Pb(111) surface at room temperature.

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  • Received 30 December 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.74.195428

©2006 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Shao-Chun Li

  • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China

Y. Han

  • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA

Jin-Feng Jia

  • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China

Qi-Kun Xue

  • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China and ICQS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China

Feng Liu

  • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA and ICQS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China

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Issue

Vol. 74, Iss. 19 — 15 November 2006

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