Identification of key parameters by comparing experimental and simulated growth of vapor-deposited amorphous Zr65Al7.5Cu27.5 films

Scanning tunneling microscopy growth studies on vapor-deposited amorphous Zr65Al7.5Cu27.5 films are analyzed to identify the dominant surface structure forming mechanisms. Qualitative and-concerning the scaling behavior of surface roughness and height-difference-correlation functions-also quantitative agreement of the experimental results with numerical simulations of a Monte Carlo model and a continuum model can be achieved. Curvature-induced surface diffusion, adatom concentration triggered surface diffusion, and geometrical effects can be identified to be the key parameters for the experimentally observed surface morphology. Some discrepancies, especially in the late stages of growth, remain, but can be explained qualitatively by additional effects, such as tip convolution or by the limitations of the approximations in the model assumptions. [S0163-1829(99)15247-0].