  Experimental results on amorphous ZrAlCu thin film growth and the dynamics of
the surface morphology as predicted from a minimal nonlinear stochastic
deposition equation are analysed and compared. Key points of this study are (i)
an estimation procedure for coefficients entering into the growth equation and
(ii) a detailed analysis and interpretation of the time evolution of the
correlation length and the surface roughness. The results corroborate the
usefulness of the deposition equation as a tool for studying amorphous growth
processes.
