With further functionality diversity and size miniaturization of opto-electronic devices, surface-based nanostructures and thin films with reduced dimensionalities have attracted much attention, by which some new-concept devices with novel functionality may be developed. Atomic-level understanding of surface dynamics at the initial stage of growth is of vital importance for controlling the formation and properties of these structures and thus the functionality of the devices made from them. Despite much theoretical and experimental work in this field, many puzzles still remain. For example, in epitaxial growth of a thin film, surfactant has been used to change growth dynamics and improve film quality for 20 years. However, its origin is still under debate, and can't be explained on the basis of classical diffusion-limited aggregation theory that was developed about 20 years ago. Many nanostructures are not stable and decay with time. A general picture about why and how they decay at the atomic level is still not available. A team of the CAS Institute of Physics has solved some long-standing puzzles in these aspects with extensive theoretical and experimental investigations.
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