1. Surface morphology evolution during sputter deposition of thin films โ lattice Monte Carlo simulations
- Author
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Zepeda-Ruiz, Luis A., Gilmer, George H., Walton, Christopher C., Hamza, Alex V., and Chason, Eric
- Subjects
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THIN films , *MONTE Carlo method , *SPUTTERING (Physics) , *CRYSTAL lattices , *CRYSTAL growth , *MOLECULAR structure , *SURFACE roughness , *PHYSICAL vapor deposition - Abstract
Abstract: The growth of uniform thin films on foreign substrates is impeded by several morphological instabilities. Hill-and-valley structures are formed and enhanced during sputter deposition where surface height perturbations have an opportunity to grow to large amplitudes. We show via kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations that while surface roughness can be partially controlled by changing growth conditions, such as substrate temperature, the diffusion of particles over step edges plays a very important role in determining both surface roughness and the density of the films. Our kMC simulations provide a way to evaluate the strength of surface instabilities during sputter deposition of thin films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2010
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