Scanning tunneling microscopy study of the growth and self-organization of Ge nanostructures on vicinal Si(111) surfaces

The initial stages of Ge growth on Si(111) vicinal surfaces tilted in the [\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} $$\overline 1 \overline 1 2$$ \end{document}] and [\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} $$11\overline 2 $$ \end{document}] directions were studied in situ in the temperature range 350–500°C using scanning tunneling microscopy. It was shown that, at low Ge deposition rates of 10−2 to 10−3 BL/min, ordered Ge nanowires can form on surfaces tilted in the [\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} $$\overline 1 \overline 1 2$$ \end{document}] direction under conditions of step-layered growth. The height of a nanosized Ge wire is one or three interplanar distances and is determined by the initial height of a silicon step. It was established that, during epitaxial growth, steps with a [\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} $$11\overline 2 $$ \end{document}] front are replaced by steps with a [\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} $$\overline 1 \overline 1 2$$ \end{document}] front. As a result, the step edge is serrated and the formation of smooth nanosized Ge wires uniform in width is hampered on the serrated Si(111) surfaces tilted in the [\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} $$11\overline 2 $$ \end{document}] direction.