Nucleation and growth of thin films by molecular beam epitaxy

Physical deposition techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy are used for the fabrication of ultra-thin films of very high crystalline quality with nanometer precision. In order to control the synthesis and obtain the desired structural, microstructural and physical properties, a precise understanding of the nucleation and growth mechanisms is required from the early stages of the film growth.

In this talk we will discuss the main factors governing the growth of thin films. By combining thermodynamic and kinetic approaches we will show that it is possible to address key quantities such as the surface diffusion energy barriers and the critical nucleus size.

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