Coarsening scenarios in unstable crystal growth

Abstract

Crystal surfaces may undergo thermodynamical as well kinetic, out-of-equilibrium instabilities. We consider the case of mound and pyramid formation, a common phenomenon in crystal growth and a long-standing problem in the field of pattern formation and coarsening dynamics. We are finally able to attack the problem analytically and get rigorous results. Three dynamical scenarios are possible: perpetual coarsening, interrupted coarsening, and no coarsening. In the perpetual coarsening scenario, mound size increases in time as L=t^n, where the coasening exponent is n=1/3 when faceting occurs, otherwise n=1/4.

Changes in the final part. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

References in corpus (9)

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Coarsening dynamics in one dimension: The phase diffusion equation and its numerical implementation
• Universality classes for unstable crystal growth
• Shape and coarsening dynamics of strained islands
• Coarsening dynamics at unstable crystal surfaces
• Stable Numerical Integration of an Epitaxial Growth Model with Slope Selection