Convective instability of strained layer step flow

Abstract

We examine an epitaxial crystal growth model in the context of absolute and convective instabilities and show that a strain-induced step bunching instability can be convective. Using analytic stability theory and numerical simulations, we study the response of the crystal surface to an inhomogeneous deposition flux that launches impulsive and time-periodic perturbations to a uniform array of steps. The results suggest a new approach to morphological patterning.