DIRECTED SELF-ASSEMBLY OF NANOSTRUCTURES AND THE OBSERVATIONS OF SELF-LIMITING GROWTH OF MOUNDS ON PATTERNED CRYSTAL SURFACE DURING EPITAXIAL GROWTH

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2012

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In this thesis I describe an approach toward investigating moving interfaces, surface stabilities and directing self assembly of nanostructures, using lithographic patterning to perturb a flat crystalline surface over a range of spatial frequencies, followed by epitaxial growth. GaAs(001) shows a transient instability toward topographical perturbations. We model this behavior using an Ehrlich-Schwoebel (ES) barrier which impedes the diffusion of atoms across steps from above. We show via both kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations and molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth experiments that patterning in the presence of an ES barrier can be used to direct the self assembly of mounds.

    Second, as we track the time evolution of mound formation, we find the evidence of "Self-Limiting Growth" on surfaces - we find that in the initial stage of growth, the pattern directs the spontaneous formation of multilayer islands at 2-fold bridge sites between neighboring nanopits along [110] crystal orientation, seemingly due to the presence of an Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier and the effect of heterogeneous nucleation sites on the surfaces.  However, as growth continues, the height of mounds at 2-fold bridge sites "self-limits": the mounds cease to grow. Beyond this point an initially less favored 4-fold bridge sites dominate, and a different pattern of self assembled mounds begins. The observation of self-limiting behavior brings us new understanding of mechanism for crystal growth. We also find that the transient amplification of pattern corrugation during growth is correlated with self-limiting behavior of mounds. We propose that a minimum, `critical terrace size' at the top of each mound is responsible for the observed self-limiting growth behavior.

    Finally, the observation of the sequence of the mounds forming on the patterned surfaces gives us rather direct evidence that the formation of growth mounds on the surface is a nucleated process, rather than an instability.

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