MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION OF THE GROWTH OF A CU(100) SURFACE FROM ITS OWN VAPOR - ISLAND NUCLEATION AND STEP PROPAGATION GROWTH MODES

The temporal oscillations in the specularly scattered intensity of thermal energy helium scattering experiments while a Cu(100) surface is growing from its vapor have been reproduced by Monte Carlo simulations involving only parameters directly obtained from experiments for a variety of surface temperatures. The results allow us to gain insight into the different growth modes of the film (three-dimensional, formation of two-dimensional islands on the substrate terraces and step propagation) and on the temporal variations that they cause in the scattered intensity.