Influence of Direct Impingement of Atoms Onto the Islands During the Stranski-Krastanow Growth

Abstract

In this paper influence of direct impingement of adatoms onto the growing islands during the Stranski-Krastanow growth of epitaxial layers and 3D islands is considered. For the calculations of the critical thickness of the transition from 2D to 3D growth in this paper a theoretical model based on general nucleation theory is proposed. This model is specified by taking into account the direct impingement of adatoms onto the surface of the wetting layer. As a result, time of atoms incorporation to an island and island nucleation rate, as well as dependencies of islands array parameters on the deposition rate and growth temperature are obtained. It is shown, that for high growth rates processes of the direct impingement may become prominent and intensely affect the nucleation and growth of quantum dots.