Nucleation of Ag nanodots at the Si(1111)3 x 1-Ag surfaces

In room temperature deposition of Ag atoms, nanometer scale Ag dots were fo und to nucleate one-dimensionally along [0 1 (1) over bar] direction on the Si(1 1 1)3 x 1-Ag surface. The dots had a monolayer height, and the same s ize (1 nm). The distance between the dots along [0 1 (1) over bar] distribu ted in a narrow range between 1.2 and 2.0 nm which are as distant as 3a(0) to 5a(0), where a(0) is the unit cell dimension of the 1 x 1. surface. The dots had self-assembling order until they restarted their growth at above 0 .4 ML. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.