The course provides a general introduction to the physics of epitaxial growth, offering an overview of the key thermodynamic and kinetic factors driving the formation of thin-films rather than three-dimensional micro- or nano- structures during material deposition.
The topics will include:

1. General concepts of epitaxy and experiments
2. Growth methods

• physics of crystal growth
• review of key experimental growth methods: LPE, MBE, CVD, ALD
• characterization techniques: STM/AFM, LEED, RHEED

3. Surface energy and crystal shape
4. Continuum models of morphological evolution

• Mullins model: thermal smoothing
• kinetic effects and Kinetic Wulff shape - The Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld instability and beyond

5. Nucleation theory and island growth
6. Atomistic growth mechanisms

• Solid-on-solid model and concept of KMC
• step kinetics model
• • Erlich-Schwoebel barrier and step bunchings

7. Plastic relaxation in epitaxy

• dislocations, types and properties - dislocations in films and critical thickness
• dislocated islands

8. Self assembly and nanostructures: QD, QW, NW

• ordering and substrate patterning
• top-down approach: selective area growth
• droplet epitaxy
• the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mode and Nanowires
• core-shell structures