New cellular automaton designed to simulate epitaxial films growth

Abstract

In this paper a simple (2+1) solid-on-solid model of the epitaxial films growth based on random deposition followed by breaking particle-particle lateral bonds and particles surface diffusion is introduced. The influence of the critical number of the particle-particle lateral bonds $z$ and the deposition rate on the surface roughness dynamics and possible surface morphology anisotropy is presented. The roughness exponent $α$ and the growth exponent $β$ are $(0.863,0.357)$, $(0.215,0.123)$, $(0.101,0.0405)$ and $(0.0718,0.0228)$ for $z=1$, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Snapshots from simulations of the growth process are included.