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Pulsed sputtering during homoepitaxial surface growth: layer-by-layer forever

Joachim Jacobsen·James P. Sethna
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Abstract

The homoepitaxial growth of initially flat surfaces has so far always led to surfaces which become rougher and rougher as the number of layers increases: even in systems exhibiting ``layer by layer'' growth the registry of the layers is gradually lost. We propose that pulsed glancing-angle sputtering, once per monolayer, can in principle lead to layer-by-layer growth that continues indefinitely, if one additional parameter is controlled. We illustrate our suggestion with a fairly realistic simulation of the growth of a Pt (111) surface, coupled with a simplified model for the sputtering process.

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Joachim Jacobsen, James P. Sethna. 1997-12-15. Pulsed sputtering during homoepitaxial surface growth: layer-by-layer forever. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0039-6028(98)00477-4

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