Computer simulation of thin film growth with defect formation

In this paper, we describe a new model for thin film growth to study the surface structure as well as the defect structure in the film. In the new model, which we call Solid-by-Solid model, the usual Solid-on-Solid criterion is not assumed. This extends to make vacancies to be able to be created in the film during the growth, which enables us to study the surface structure and the void structure at the same time. The growth is controlled by the chemical potential mu, which corresponds to the overpotential in electrodeposition. Spatial and size distributions of voids and the correlation between void structure and the surface roughness are studied for various deposition conditions. The simulation of filling grooves is also performed to study the void formation mechanism during the deposition. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.