A Boundary Integral Method for Computing the Dynamics of an Epitaxial Island

  • Authors:

  • Shuwang Li;Xiaofan Li

  • Affiliations:

  • sli@math.iit.edu;lix@iit.edu

  • Venue:
  • SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

In this paper, we present a boundary integral method for computing the quasi-steady evolution of an epitaxial island. The problem consists of an adatom diffusion equation (with desorption) on terrace and a kinetic boundary condition at the step (island boundary). The normal velocity for step motion is determined by a two-sided flux. The integral formulation of the problem involves both double- and single-layer potentials due to the kinetic boundary condition. Numerical tests on a growing/shrinking circular or a slightly perturbed circular island are in excellent agreement with the linear analysis, demonstrating that the method is stable, efficient, and spectrally accurate in space. Nonlinear simulations for the growth of perturbed circular islands show that sharp tips and flat edges will form during growth instead of the usual dense branching morphology seen throughout physical and biological systems driven out of equilibrium. In particular, Bales-Zangwill instability is manifested in the form of wave-like fronts (meandering instability) around the tip regions. The numerical techniques presented here can be applied generally to a class of free/moving boundary problems in physical and biological science.