STM study of the structure and morphology of vicinal Si(111) surface at Agadsorption

Effect of Ag adsorption on the structure and morphology of the vicinal Si(1 11) surface misoriented at 8 degrees from the (111) plane towards the [11(2 ) over bar] direction has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. It has been shown that Ag adsorption causes the modification of the surface s tructure and morphology of the initial clean vicinal Si(lll) surface consis ting of (111) and (331) facets. The modification bf the surface morphology at Ag adsorption is due to the separation of a (331) facet into the (111) o ne and the second plane. As a result, after Ag adsorption the fraction of t he (111) facet area on the vicinal Si(111) surface misoriented towards [11( 2) over bar] is increased at the expense of the (331) facet.