Abstract This paper describes the microscopic growth mechanisms of facet growth, dislocation-controlled facet growth, near facet growth, terrace growth and terrace-free growth. It investigates the growth mechanisms by studying (i) the micromorphology of the solid/fluid interfaces and (ii) impurity striations in corresponding regions in the bulk of the crystals. It deals with experiments and models, which define the distinguishing features of each of the mechanisms. The studies are based on epitaxial layers of GaAs and Si, grown from solution and on silicon crystals, grown from the melt by the Czochralski technique: They demonstrate the influence of the growth mechanisms on the distribution of impurities and dopants for epitaxial layers and bulk crystals. In addition, experiments are reported which illustrate the influence of the growth mechanisms on the morphological stability of the growth interface under otherwise identical crystal growth conditions.