SIMULATIONS OF CRYSTAL-GROWTH - EFFECTS OF ATOMIC-BEAM ENERGY

We have simulated silicon molecular beam epitaxy on (100) and (111) substrates using molecular dynamics methods. We find that the kinetic energy of the atomic beam has a dramatic effect on the crystalline ordering in the deposit. Energetic beams form a crystalline film at less than half the absolute temperature required for a thermal beam. Our simulations show that crystallization is facilitated by the transient atomic motion just after the impact of an atom from the beam.