Model For Transient Elongation And Drift Of Islands On Vicinal Substrates

During their relaxation to equilibrium, crystalline islands on misoriented (vicinal) substrates drift and deform. Our model indicates a generic and transient elongation perpendicular to the drift direction. The maximum elongation and the drift exhibit distinctive behaviors depending on the dominant energy contribution (interfacial energy, wetting potential, or elastic energy) and the dominant mass transport process (diffusion or attachment-detachment).