~bstract/ We simulated a growth of metal films with two models of surface diffusion and investigated the relationships between the evolution of surface step densities and growth condition. In one case, we modeled thermally activated surface migration by the Arrhenius relation. when the substrate temperature was above 430K, clear periodic oscillations of the number of steps on the surface were observed. In the other case, epitaxial growth at OK was simulated in which we modeled that deposited

more »

... ms can move by the hopping which use the kinetic energy of the atom. The step density can oscillate with one monolayer growth period when an impinged atom could hop more than 10 times in one direction even at OK. In the random-hopping-migration model, when deposited atom can hop more than 28 times, the step density oscillation can be obtained. Article published online by EDP Sciences and available at http://dx.