Growth-induced atomic step ordering on patterned and non-patterned Si(111)

Atomic step configurations on the vicinal surfaces of patterned and non-pat terned Si(111) during homoepitaxial step-flow growth were studied as a func tion of film thickness, deposition temperature, deposition rate, and substr ate miscut. We found, for the first time, that step-flow growth on the vici nal surfaces of Si(111) miscut toward the [11 (2) over bar] direction resul ts in the formation of collective, in-phase zigzag arrays of [2 (11) over b ar]- and [(1) over bar2 (1) over bar]-type steps. We also found that step-f low growth on the lower-level region around the edge of Si(111) mesa ridges significantly improves period uniformity. We explained the shape of atomic steps on the basis of the stability of surface reconstruction on Si(111), and the atomic step ordering on the assumption of the anisotropic barrier f or diffusion at the growing steps. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.