Smoothing of crystal surfaces during growth interruption

The evolution of a crystal surface during growth interruption when adatom diffusion along the surface is the prevailing smoothing process is studied both theoretically and numerically. During this process, 2D islands and holes interact via adatom diffusion changing their sizes and making the surface smoother. Surface smoothing is described in terms of two main processes that determine mode and rate of surface smoothing: Ostwald ripening of islands and capturing of adatoms wandering on the surface by the holes. This description offers to determine reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) specular intensity in a step-density approximation.