Atomically straight steps on vicinal Si (111) surfaces prepared by step-parallel current in the kink-up direction
Loading...
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Description
We demonstrate that annealing of a vicinal Si(111) surface at about 800 C with a direct current in the direction that ascends the kinks enhances the formation of atomically straight step edges over micrometer lengths, while annealing with a current in the opposite direction does not. Every straight step edge has the same atomic configuration U(2,0), which is useful as a template for the formation of a variety of nanostructures. A phenomenological model based on electromigration of charged mobile atoms explains the observed current-polarity dependent behavior.
Accepted for publication in Appl. Phys. Lett. Numbers of pages and figures are 12 and 4, respectively
Accepted for publication in Appl. Phys. Lett. Numbers of pages and figures are 12 and 4, respectively