Integrated description for random adsorption and 2D-island growth kinetics in thin film growth: Autocatalytic-reaction model and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation

Because of the interplay among various surface processes, an integrated description of 2D filmgrowth is usually a very difficult task. As far as adsorption–migration–desorption of precursors and the resultant nucleation, growth, and coalescence of 2D islands up to 1monolayer are concerned, however, the autocatalytic-reaction (ACR) model [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82 (1999) 2334] can be a rare exception, which satisfactorilymodels the oxide film uptake curve during Si dry oxidation froma Langmuir to sigmoidal behaviors. AkineticMonte Carlo (KMC) simulation, conducted to mimic the2Dgrowth of thin films, shows a similar shift froma Langmuir to sigmoidal uptake behavior by varying the parameters corresponding to adsorption, migration, and desorption. A comparison betweenACR andKMCclarifies that the success of theACRmodel lies in its effective inclusion of adsorption of species as well as of nucleation, growth, and coalescence of islands.Arecipe is presented to translate theACRparameters toKMCones, which allows one to discuss the surface morphology based on the ACR analysis on the film uptake curve