Real-time study of nucleation, growth, and ripening during Fe/Fe(100) homoepitaxy using ion scattering

Real-time studies of submonolayer epitaxy via scattering of fast ions are applicable over a wide range of growth temperatures and deposition rates. Computer simulations of ion trajectories and nucleation theory yield quantitative information on atomistic growth processes. For homoepitaxy of Fe on Fe(100), we deduce island densities, monomer diffusion barrier, cluster binding energies, and post-deposition island ripening. Detailed information on transitions in critical cluster size is obtained.