Unification of step bunching phenomena on vicinal surfaces

Abstract

We unify step bunching (SB) instabilities occurring under various conditions on crystal surfaces below roughening. We show that when attachment-detachment of atoms at step edges is the rate-limiting process, the SB of interacting, concentric circular steps is equivalent to the commonly observed SB of interacting straight steps under deposition, desorption, or drift. We derive a continuum Lagrangian partial differential equation, which is used to study the onset of instabilities for circular steps. These findings place on a common ground SB instabilities from numerical simulations for circular steps and experimental observations of straight steps. © 2007 The American Physical Society.