Growth Dynamics of Thin Metal Films on Compound Semiconductor Surfaces

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A fundamental understanding of the formation of metal overlayers on compound semiconductor surfaces will provide valuable insight into a variety of complex metal-interfacial phenomena crucial to the intelligent design of electronic devices. This work will focus on developing a quantitative model of the kinetic processes associated with the formation and development of ordered structures for metallic films on compound semiconductor surfaces. Initial efforts will focus on the adsorption of group V and metals on the surface of III-V compound semiconductors. %%% In the first phase of the research, a newly developed time- dependent Monte Carlo model will be combined with tight-binding and first-principles pseudopotential total energy models to investigate the growth of antimony and bismuth on gallium arsenide in the sub- monolayer to one monolayer regime. The desciption of fundamental chemical processes such as chemisorption, migration, incorporation, and desorption, will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the elementary surface reactions. In the second phase of the research the growth of antimony and bismuth in the range of two - twenty monolayers will be examined where factors controlling pseudomorphic growth and the transition to three-dimensional island growth take place. Future work will address the issue of film defect formation, such as the nature of two-dimensional island growth during deposition, and identification of the conditions important for defect formation. The grant supports a postdoctoral associate and is done in collaboration with researchers at Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories.