Two mechanisms forming a comblike step pattern induced by a moving linear adatom source.

Abstract

We carry out phase field simulations to study properties of the comblike step patterns induced by an adatom source. When an adatom source advances right in front of a step, step wandering is caused by the asymmetry of the surface diffusion field and small protrusions are formed. If the velocity of the source V_{p} is smaller than a critical value V_{p}^{c}, the protrusions follow the adatom source with coarsening of the step pattern, and a regular comblike pattern with finger-like protrusions is formed. With a sufficiently small V_{p}, the gap of the supersaturation is large at the adatom source. Since the period of protrusions, Λ, decreases with increasing V_{p}, the coarsening of step pattern is irrelevant for the protrusions to catch up with the adatom source. Near V_{p}^{c}, the gap of the supersaturation at the adatom source is small. Taking account of the increase in Λ with increasing V_{p}, the coarsening of the step pattern is essential for the protrusions to follow the adatom source.