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M. Schmid, C. Lenauer, A. Buchsbaum, F. Wimmer, G. Rauchbauer, P. Scheiber, G. Betz, P. Varga:
"High Island Densities in Pulsed Laser Deposition: Causes and Implications";
Physical Review Letters, 103 (2009), 0761011 - 0761014.

By studying metal growth on Pt(111), we determine the reasons for the high island densities observed in
pulsed laser deposition (PLD) compared to conventional thermal deposition. For homoepitaxy by PLD
with moderate energies (&100 eV) of the deposited ions, high island densities are caused by the high
instantaneous flux of arriving particles. Additional nuclei are formed at high ion energies (*200 eV) by
adatoms created by the impinging ions. For heteroepitaxy, the island density is also increased by
intermixing (deposited material implanted in the surface), creating an inhomogeneous potential energy
surface for diffusing atoms. We discuss implications for layer-by-layer growth and sputter deposition.