Interface stability in stressed solid-phase epitaxial growth

Abstract

The role of applied stress on interface stability during Si solid-phase epitaxial growth was investigated. Transmission electron microscopy observations of growth interface evolution revealed in-plane uniaxial compression (tension) led to interface instability (stability). Additionally, level set simulations revealed that the stress-influenced interface instability was accurately modeled by adjusting the strength of the linear dependence of local interface velocity (rate of change of interface position with respect to time) on local interface curvature proposed in previous work. This behavior is explained in terms of tension in the growth interface controlling interface stability during growth; it is argued that compressive (tensile) stress tends to reduce (enhance) interfacial tension and results in interfacial instability (stability) during growth.