Local electromigration model for crystal surfaces

TL;DR

This paper develops a local electromigration model for crystal surfaces, deriving a step model that captures surface instabilities like meandering, bunching, and pairing, with discussions on experimental implications.

Contribution

It introduces a new step model incorporating electromigration effects with geometry-dependent forces, explaining surface instabilities.

Findings

The model predicts step meandering, bunching, and pairing instabilities.

Electromigration influences surface morphology through additional boundary conditions.

Experimental discussions suggest relevance to real crystal surface behaviors.

Abstract

We analyze the dynamics of crystal surfaces in the presence of electromigration. From a phase field model with a migration force which depends on the local geometry, we derive a step model with additional contributions in the kinetic boundary conditions. These contributions trigger various surface instabilities, such as step meandering, bunching and pairing on vicinal surfaces. Experiments are discussed.