Persistent Step-Flow Growth of Strained Films on Vicinal Substrates

Wei Hong, Ho Nyung Lee, Mina Yoon, Hans M. Christen, Douglas H. Lowndes, Zhigang Suo, and Zhenyu Zhang
Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 095501 – Published 22 August 2005

Abstract

We propose a model of persistent step flow, emphasizing dominant kinetic processes and strain effects. Within this model, we construct a morphological phase diagram, delineating a regime of step flow from regimes of step bunching and island formation. In particular, we predict the existence of concurrent step bunching and island formation, a new growth mode that competes with step flow for phase space, and show that the deposition flux and temperature must be chosen within a window in order to achieve persistent step flow. The model rationalizes the diverse growth modes observed in pulsed laser deposition of SrRuO3 on SrTiO3.

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  • Received 4 February 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.095501

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Wei Hong1, Ho Nyung Lee2, Mina Yoon2, Hans M. Christen2, Douglas H. Lowndes2, Zhigang Suo1, and Zhenyu Zhang2,3,1

  • 1Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
  • 2Condensed Matter Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA

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Vol. 95, Iss. 9 — 26 August 2005

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