Probabilistic evaluation of growth models based on time-dependent Auger signals

The time-dependent Auger intensity measured during epitaxial growth of ultra-thin films is routinely used to study the growth process. The Auger signal yields integrated information about the layer-thickness distribution which can only be inferred upon solving an inverse problem. Common praxis is to minimize the misfit between experimental data and theoretical prediction made by a growth model under consideration. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the consistent application of probability theory to assess possible growth models and determine the respective parameters without resorting to ad-hoc methods.