Gold Drop Formation and Motion over a Si(111) Substrate: Monte Carlo Simulation

The present paper is devoted to the Monte Carlo simulation of the motion of Au-Si melt drops over vicinal Si(111) surface during gold deposition onto a silicon substrate. The behavior of drops on the Si surfaces with orientations (100) and (111) is considered. It was found that the direction of Au-Si drops motion over vicinal Si(111) surface is governed by asymmetry in the lateral drop-substrate interface. The reason of asymmetry in the lateral interface on vicinal Si(111) surface is steps. The motion of a drop occurs due to the dissolution of a silicon substrate in striving to an equilibrium Au-Si melt concentration in the volume of a drop. The kinetics of Au-Si melt drops motion over the silicon surface is analyzed.