Studies and applications of molecular beam epitaxy

Single crystal Nb samples have been prepared with stepped surfaces to investigate the effect of surface steps on nucleation and growth in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Studies of the critical temperature between two-dimensional and three-dimensional growth are completed by means of reflection high energy diffraction. These critical temperatures are observed to depend on the density of surfaces steps as well as the deposition rate. A perturbed step-flow-growth model is formulated and applied to the results to determine a critical cluster size for growth. The analysis reveals that the growth is dominated by mobility changes associated with the formation of adatom pairs, and that the densities of adatoms on the terraces at such critical conditions are typically as low as 10$\sp{-3}.$ Activation energies for surface diffusion and cluster binding energies are determined.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Matheny, Annette M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Flynn, C.P.

• Physics, Condensed Matter

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1992 Matheny, Annette May

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9305615
(UMI)AAI9305615

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/22051