Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
The nucleation and growth of islands in the early stages of epitaxial growth is studied with kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations and self-consistent mean field rate equations. Specifically, adatom exchange and irreversible dimer formation are allowed to compete equally as the origin of two-dimensional islands. The island size distribution and number density are found to satisfy a dynamic crossover scaling form. The critical island size evolves from one to zero with increasing temperature, decreasing flux, and increasing coverage.