Pulsed sputtering during homoepitaxial surface growth: layer-by-layer forever

TL;DR

This paper proposes a pulsed sputtering method to achieve indefinite layer-by-layer homoepitaxial surface growth, overcoming the typical roughening seen in traditional growth methods, demonstrated through simulation of Pt(111).

Contribution

It introduces a novel pulsed sputtering technique combined with a simplified model to sustain continuous layer-by-layer growth.

Findings

Pulsed sputtering can maintain layer-by-layer growth indefinitely.

Simulation shows effective control of surface roughness.

Method potentially applicable to various epitaxial systems.

Abstract

The homoepitaxial growth of initially flat surfaces has so far always led to surfaces which become rougher and rougher as the number of layers increases: even in systems exhibiting ``layer by layer'' growth the registry of the layers is gradually lost. We propose that pulsed glancing-angle sputtering, once per monolayer, can in principle lead to layer-by-layer growth that continues indefinitely, if one additional parameter is controlled. We illustrate our suggestion with a fairly realistic simulation of the growth of a Pt (111) surface, coupled with a simplified model for the sputtering process.