A mathematical model for epitaxial growth on nonplanar substrates

A new mathematical model devised to simulate growth on patterned substrates is described. Its aim is not to predict the evolution of the shape of any substrate during epitaxy, but to determine the value of the different kinetic parameters involved in the growth (mean lifetime before incorporation or desorption, surface diffusion length and diffusion coefficient of group III adatoms on the various crystalline facets), just by fitting the output of the program to the experimental epitaxial growth results. A simulation of GaAs MBE growth on a patterned substrate is included as an illustration of its operation.