STM STUDY OF THE GE GROWTH MODE ON SI(001) SUBSTRATES

The Ge growth mode on a Si(001) substrate was examined by scanning tun neling microscopy (STM) on the atomic scale. Germanium overlayers on S i substrates exhibited the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode, where the d eposited films grew layer-by-layer up to a few ML, followed by the sev eral types of the three-dimensional islands with distinctive facets. T he phase diagram of the Ge growth was constructed for the Ge coverages from less than 1 ML up to 8 ML at the growth temperatures of 300, 400 and 500-degrees-C, examining the STM images. Furthermore, annealing e ffects for the Ge overlayer were also studied to clarify the stability of the islands.