Coverage-time dependence during island growth at a solid surface with application to diamond deposition from the gas phase

A model is presented for describing the coverage-time dependence during nucleus growth at a solid surface, derived from Avrami’s statistical approach [M. Avrami, J. Chem. Phys. 7, 1103 (1939); 8, 212 (1940)]. The original formulation of the theory has been modified according to a kinetic scheme which accounts for the time evolution of active sites, germs, and nuclei at the substrate surface. This model has successfully been applied for describing the time dependence of the coverage by diamond experimentally observed at a Si(100) surface.