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A kinetic Monte Carlo study on the role of defects and detachment in the formation and growth of In chains on Si(100)

TitleA kinetic Monte Carlo study on the role of defects and detachment in the formation and growth of In chains on Si(100)
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsAlbao MA, Evans JW, Chuang FC
Journal TitleJournal of Physics-Condensed Matter
Volume21
Pages405002
Date Published11/07
ISBN Number0953-8984
Accession NumberISI:000269929800004
Keywordsab-initio, ad-dimer, al, diffusion, film growth, indium, stm, surface
Abstract

Deposition on a Si(100) surface and subsequent self-assembly of In atoms into one-dimensional (1D) atomic chains at room temperature is investigated via kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of a suitable atomistic model. Model development is guided by recent experimental observations in which 1D In chains nucleate effectively exclusively at C-type defects, although In atoms can detach from chains. We find that a monotonically decreasing form of the scaled island size distribution (ISD) is consistent with a high defect density which facilitates persistent chain nucleation even at relatively high coverages. The predominance of heterogeneous nucleation may be attributed to several factors including low surface diffusion barriers, a high defect density, and relatively weak In-In binding.
URL<Go to ISI>://000269929800004
DOI10.1088/0953-8984/21/40/405002