Development and ordering of mounds during metal(100) homoepitaxy

Scanning-tunneling microscopy studies combined with atomistic modeling for Ag/Ag(100) homoepitaxy reveal complex growth behavior at 300 K: initial smooth growth up to similar to25 ML, where three-dimensional (3D) mounds develop from 2D islands; then an extended regime of mound steepening for similar to1000 ML producing unexpected rough growth; and finally an asymptotic regime with cooperative mound ordering and coalescence dynamics quite distinct from that in systems with up-down symmetry. The steepening regime is compressed upon lowering temperature, so while initial growth is rougher, asymptotic growth is actually smoother.