4-Monolayer-height layer-by-layer growth and increase of the critical thickness of Ge heteroepitaxy on boron-preadsorbed Si(111) surface

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 1996, Vol.35 (4B), p.L476-L478
• Main Authors: KUMAGAI, Y, ISHIMOTO, K, MORI, R, TEE, K.-M, ISHIBASHI, T, KAWABE, M, HASEGAWA, F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Molecular, atomic, ion, and chemical beam epitaxy; Physics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0021-4922; 1347-4065
• DOI: 10.1143/jjap.35.L476

Heteroepitaxy of Ge was performed onto clean Si(111)7×7 and 1-monolayer (ML) boron-preadsorbed Si(111)√ 3×√ 3R30°–B surfaces held at 500° C. Both cases of growth showed the Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode. On the clean surface, layer-by-layer growth by 2-ML-height two-dimensional (2D) islands lasted for up to 6 ML of Ge growth, and then relaxed 3D islands began to be formed. On the boron-preadsorbed surface, however, critical thickness for the formation of 3D islands increased to 8 ML due to suppression of Ge surface migration by surface-segregated boron atoms. It was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) that the height of 2D islands appearing in the layer-by-layer growth process changed from the normal 2 ML to 4 ML on the boron-preadsorbed surface.