Abstract:
According to an early model by Cabrera and Vermilyea, a low density
of immobile impurities,
adsorbed on a crystal surface may block step propagation completely
at low supersaturations.
This phenomenon of a ''dead zone'' for crystal growth has been studied
experimentally by in
situ measurements of the velocity of [100] steps on (001) K2Cr2O7 growing
from aqueous
solution as a function of supersaturation and temperature. Theoretical
studies were carried out
for [100] steps on the (001) face of a Kossel crystal, using the Monte
Carlo technique. An
overview of recent results and some implications for the science of
crystal growth are given.