Course: Thin film Nucleation and Growth
Edition: 2015
Size and period: 6 lectures during June 2015
Credit points: 2
Course responsible and examiner: Kostas Sarakinos (kostas@ifm.liu.se)
Examination: Written exam at the end of the course in the form of multiple choice questions
Additional self-evaluation tools: Questionnaires at the beginning of each lecture to be answered by
the course participants. Study of the respective course material/suggested literature is encouraged
prior to each lecture.
Course content: The following topics will be covered during the course;
1. Introduction to thin film science and technology and thin film formation stages.
2. Thermodynamics and thin film growth (thermodynamic theory of nucleation, epitaxial
growth modes).
3. Kinetics and film growth (atomistic nucleation theory, island shape, multilayer growth,
growth manipulation and the effect of impurities).
4. Polycrystalline thin films: Fundamental structure forming phenomena, structure zone models
and the effect of impurities
5. Coalescence, coarsening and grain growth phenomena during thin film growth.
6. Thin film microstructural scaling behavior and characteristic length scales.
7. Effect of energetic bombardment on thin film nucleation and growth.
8. Stress generation in epitaxial and polycrystalline thin films.