Dynamics of Crystal Surfaces and Interfaces

Edited by P. M. Duxbury and Pence and T. J. Pence, Fundamental Materials Research, Plenum Press, New York, p. 199 (1997).

Two-dimensional models for step dynamics

John D. Weeks, Da-Jiang Liu, and Hyeong-Chai Jeong

Abstract

In this paper we review some of our recent work on the dynamics of step bunching and faceting on vicinal surfaces below the roughening temperature. We concentrate on several cases where interesting two dimensional (2D) step patterns form as a result of kinetic processes and argue that they can be understood from a unified point of view. In particular, we discuss two cases of recent experimental and theoretical interest: current-induced step bunching on Si(111) surfaces and reconstruction-induced faceting as seen a number of systems, including the O/Ag(110) and Si(111) surfaces. In both cases interesting 2D step patterns can arise from the competition between a driving force that promotes step bunching, and the effects of step repulsions, which tend to keep steps uniformly spaced.
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