Statistical analysis of step meandering on Si(113) miscut along a low symmetry azimuth

We have investigated the structure of double steps on Si(113) surfaces misc ut along a low symmetry azimuth, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). To estimate the kink excitation energies, distributions of kink lengths an d kink-kink separation distances have been measured from the STM images wit h atomic resolution We compare the results with predictions calculated usin g terrace-step-kink models. The results show that the energy cost of the ki nk of double unit length is more than two times that of one unit length. We discuss the relevance of this result to the observed step shapes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.