Effects of short-range attraction in metal epitaxial growth.

The effects of short-range attraction in metal epitaxial growth are studied. Our results indicate that even at normal incidence, the short-range attraction of depositing atoms to step edges can significantly increase the selected mound angle and surface roughness for typical energies used in epitaxial growth. Our results also lead to a picture of the process of deposition near step edges that is quite different from the standard downward funneling picture. Results for the dependence of the uphill current on incident atom kinetic energy and substrate temperature are also presented.