Phase-field modeling of submonolayer growth with the modulated nucleation regime

• The phase-field simulations are systematically compared with the classical nucleation rate theory.
• The modulations of nucleation regime by the different kinetic coefficients have been studied.
• Appropriate kinetic coefficients contribute to the agreed nucleation regime with the scaling law.

In this letter, we perform the phase-field simulations to investigate nucleation regime of submonolayer growth via a quantified nucleation term. Results show that the nucleation related kinetic coefficients have changed the density of islands and critical sizes to modulate the nucleation regime. The scaling behavior of the island density can be agreed with the classical theory only when effects of modulations have been quantified. We expect to produce the quantitative descriptions of nucleation for submonolayer growth in phase-field models.