Mean-field approach to Pb-mediated growth of Ge on Si(111): Comparison with experiment and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations

Janusz Bȩben, Czesław Oleksy, Ivo Klik, and Tien T. Tsong
Phys. Rev. B 75, 045410 – Published 9 January 2007

Abstract

Using a mean-field approximation we describe the early stages of growth of Ge on Si(111) mediated by a Pb surfactant. A set of rate equations is constructed for the time evolution of the number of clusters of a given size. The Ge atoms are deposited onto the surface at a constant flux rate, giving rise to a monomer population. The rates of growth and dissociation of the clusters are then calculated assuming that the dissociation energy Ediss=[n¯(s)λ]Ebr+Ed, where Ebr is the energy required to break one bond, and Ed is the diffusion energy of an isolated atom. Finally, n¯(s) is the average number of bonds broken when a cluster reduces its size s by 1. This dependence is obtained from a separate kinetic Monte Carlo experiment. The phenomenological constant λ=1.2 by assumption. Our mean-field approximation describes the essential experimental results observed in GePbSi(111) growth.

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  • Received 9 August 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.75.045410

©2007 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Janusz Bȩben1,*, Czesław Oleksy2, Ivo Klik3, and Tien T. Tsong4

  • 1Institute of Experimental Physics, Wrocław University, Wrocław, Poland
  • 2Institute of Theoretical Physics, Wrocław University, Wrocław, Poland
  • 3Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China
  • 4Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China

  • *Corresponding author. Electronic address: beben@ifd.uni.wroc.pl

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Vol. 75, Iss. 4 — 15 January 2007

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