Analytical models for the determination of thin film growth modes were developed on the basis of the simultaneous multilayer (SM) growth model. The models take into account up-step and down-step, diffusion. enabling quick identification of the growth modes from experimentally obtained spectroscopic data. We tested the models by applying them to growth data from the literature that had been recorded via Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). and low-energy ion scattering (LEIS). We discuss the applicability of the new analytical models in comparison with the diffusion-corrected simultaneous multilayer (DCSM) model. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.