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Computer Simulation of Nucleation on Patterned Surfaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

A. Kuronen
Affiliation:
Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Computational Engineering, P.O.Box 9400, FIN-02015 HUT, FINLAND
L. Nurminen
Affiliation:
Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Computational Engineering, P.O.Box 9400, FIN-02015 HUT, FINLAND
K. Kaski
Affiliation:
Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Computational Engineering, P.O.Box 9400, FIN-02015 HUT, FINLAND
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Abstract

We have studied qualitatively the effect of patterned substrate surface on adatom nucleation using Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and solid-on-solid model. The inhomogeneity in the activation energies of adatom diffusion was incorporated into the simulations using two models: a) periodic variation of the adatom–substrate interaction energy as a function of the adatom lateral position and b) adding a direction dependent and periodically varying diffusion barrier energy to the adatom diffusion activation energy. The effect of the patterned surface was clearly manifested as a confinement of nucleated islands and, consequently, narrowing the island size distribution. The effect was strong in a narrow temperature range.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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