LARGE-AREA DIMER VACANCY ARRAY ON THE SI(100) SURFACE STUDIED BY SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

Large area dimer vacancy arrays can be formed on the Si(100) surface w hen Si atoms are deposited on the Si(100)-2 x 1 surface followed by qu enching from 1200 degrees C. The dimer vacancy lines (DVLs) of the dim er vacancy array run perpendicular to the dimer rows and the basic bui lding cells of the DVLs are: (i) a cluster of two missing dimers; (ii) a complex of one missing dimer and a cluster of two missing dimers. S mall isolated islands with DVLs like that of the Si(100) surface are o bserved on the surface. The precursors of the islands are investigated . The formation mechanism of the island is that the interaction betwee n the stress held of the dimers on the Si(100) surface and that of the island causes the dimer vacancies in the dimer rows of the island and the attraction between the dimer vacancies in adjacent dimer rows ali gns the dimer vacancies. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.