We consider the effect of nucleation on a one-dimensional stepped surface, finding that step-flow growth is metastable for any strength of the additional step-edge barrier. The surface is made unstable by the formation of a critical nucleus, whose lateral size is related to the destabilization process on a high-symmetry surface. Arguments based on a critical nucleus of height two, which suggest the existence of a fully stable regime for small barrier, fail to describe this phenomenon.

Nucleation and step-edge barriers always destabilize step-flow growth of a vicinal surface

Claudio Castellano;Paolo Politi
2005

Abstract

We consider the effect of nucleation on a one-dimensional stepped surface, finding that step-flow growth is metastable for any strength of the additional step-edge barrier. The surface is made unstable by the formation of a critical nucleus, whose lateral size is related to the destabilization process on a high-symmetry surface. Arguments based on a critical nucleus of height two, which suggest the existence of a fully stable regime for small barrier, fail to describe this phenomenon.
2005
Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi - ISC
Crystal growth
Nucleation
Metastability
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/30860
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 4
social impact