Step Bunches, Nanowires and Other Vicinal “Creatures”—Ehrlich–Schwoebel Effect by Cellular Automata

Different patterns can be created on the surface of growing crystals, among which the step bunches and/or step meanders are two of the most studied. The Ehrlich–Schwoebel effect at the surface steps is considered one of the “usual suspects” of such patterning. A direct step barrier is when it is easier to attach a particle to the step from the lower terrace than from the upper terrace. Thus, during the process of crystal growth leads to the formation of meanders, while an inverse barrier leads to step bunching. Based on our vicinal Cellular Automaton model, but this time in (2 + 1)D, we show that the combination of a direct and inverse step barrier and the proper selection of the potential of the well between them leads to the formation of bunched step structures. Following this is the formation of anti-bands. In addition, changing the height of the direct step barrier leads to the growth of nanocolumns, nanowires, and nanopyramids or meanders, in the same system.

Microscopic Identification of Surface Steps on SiC by Density-Functional Calculations

We have performed density-functional calculations in order to clarify atomic structures and energetics of surface steps on SiC. The obtained energetics of distinct step types on vicinal 3C-SiC(111) surfaces which correspond to 4H- and 6H-SiC(0001) surfaces reveals the atom-scale reason for the experimental observation in the past that the step morphology is straight for the SiC(0001) surfaces inclined toward the 〈1-100〉 direction while it is meandering for the 〈11-20〉 inclined surfaces. The calculations clarify the rebonding between upper- and lower-terrace edge atoms, which is decisive for the energetics of the atomic steps.