RECONSTRUCTION AND GROWTH OF AG ON HYDROGEN-TERMINATED SI(111) SURFACES

Initial stage of Ag film formation on hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surf aces at room temperature (RT) and high temperatures has been investiga ted by scanning tunneling microscopy. Ag atoms formed clusters on the hydrogen-terminated Si(111) at all temperatures, though the size and n umber were different in each case. When Ag was deposited at RT, relati vely large and uniform Ag clusters were formed on the surface, compare d with Ag deposition on a clean Si(111)-7 X 7 surface. On increasing t he deposition temperature to 200 and 300 degrees C, the size of Ag clu sters became larger and the number of Ag clusters became less. When th e surface where Ag was deposited on the hydrogen-terminated Si(111) at RT was annealed at 350 degrees C, shallow and deep areas of root 3-Ag structure appeared, due to hydrogen desorption. We demonstrate the us efulness of hydrogen termination for Ag deposition on the Si surface t o fabricate flat and uniform thin films.