Effects of Elastic Interactions Between Adsorbate and Substrate in Nano-Structuring of Thin Films During Deposition

In this study, we investigate the role of elastic interactions between the substrate and adsorbed particles in the structuring processes of thin films. We present a reaction-diffusion model for nanostructure formation on the first deposited layer of a multilayer adsorptive system. Analyzing a homogeneous system, we demonstrate a possibility of firstorder transitions. In the framework of stability analysis we show that increased elastic energy induces pattern formation. We discuss an influence of elastic energy on the kinetics of nanostructured thin film growth and the statistical properties of surface structures.