TY - JOUR

T1 - Sn-mediated transformations on Si(111) surface: reconstructions, electromigration, homoepitaxy

AU - Petrov, A.S.

AU - Rogilo, D.I.

AU - Vergules, A.I.

AU - Mansurov, V. G.

AU - Sheglov, D.V.

AU - Latyshev, A.V.

N1 - The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 19-72-30023 , https://rscf.ru/en/project/19-72-30023/ and performed on the equipment of CKP “Nanostruktury”.

PY - 2024/3

Y1 - 2024/3

N2 - We have studied Si mass transport and morphological transformations on the Si(111) surface during (√3 × √3)-Sn reconstruction formation and following Si homoepitaxy in 600–825°C interval by in situ ultrahigh vacuum reflection electron microscopy (UHV REM) and ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). We have shown that the formation of a metallic α-(√3 × √3)-Sn phase during Sn deposition at T < 650 °С leads to Si 2D island nucleation on > 1 μm terraces, while the formation of a mosaic γ-(√3 × √3)-Sn phase at T > 650 °С is followed by monatomic step shift in the step-up direction and provides Sn/Si(111) interface with wide atomically flat terraces. The step shift value has been measured as functions of substrate temperature and Sn deposition rate to determine emitted by the steps Si coverage participating in γ-phase formation. The electromigration-induced drift of disordered “1 × 1”-Sn domains has been shown to entail enhanced noncompensated Si mass transport followed by the Si(111)-(√3 × √3)-Sn surface roughening. The kinetics of 2D island nucleation and growth near monatomic steps and on wide (up to 10 μm) terraces on the Si(111)-γ-(√3 × √3)-Sn surface during Si deposition at 700°C is limited by surface diffusion only, and critical nucleus i consists of ∼ 20–100 Si atoms.

AB - We have studied Si mass transport and morphological transformations on the Si(111) surface during (√3 × √3)-Sn reconstruction formation and following Si homoepitaxy in 600–825°C interval by in situ ultrahigh vacuum reflection electron microscopy (UHV REM) and ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). We have shown that the formation of a metallic α-(√3 × √3)-Sn phase during Sn deposition at T < 650 °С leads to Si 2D island nucleation on > 1 μm terraces, while the formation of a mosaic γ-(√3 × √3)-Sn phase at T > 650 °С is followed by monatomic step shift in the step-up direction and provides Sn/Si(111) interface with wide atomically flat terraces. The step shift value has been measured as functions of substrate temperature and Sn deposition rate to determine emitted by the steps Si coverage participating in γ-phase formation. The electromigration-induced drift of disordered “1 × 1”-Sn domains has been shown to entail enhanced noncompensated Si mass transport followed by the Si(111)-(√3 × √3)-Sn surface roughening. The kinetics of 2D island nucleation and growth near monatomic steps and on wide (up to 10 μm) terraces on the Si(111)-γ-(√3 × √3)-Sn surface during Si deposition at 700°C is limited by surface diffusion only, and critical nucleus i consists of ∼ 20–100 Si atoms.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85177839651&origin=inward&txGid=f06b71a01cc12d9371a9977e8b455d57

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/7cc67ecb-e433-3964-b0c4-71974002a248/

U2 - 10.1016/j.susc.2023.122418

DO - 10.1016/j.susc.2023.122418

M3 - Article

VL - 741

JO - Surface Science

JF - Surface Science

SN - 0039-6028

M1 - 122418

ER -