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The Role of Surface Stress in the Faceting of Stepped Si(111) Surfaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

Ellen D. Williams ,
R. J. Phaneuf ,
N. C. Bartelt ,
W. Świe¸ch  and
E. Bauer
Ellen D. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
R. J. Phaneuf
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
N. C. Bartelt
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
W. Świe¸ch
Affiliation:
Physikalisches Institut, Technische Universität Clausthal, Germany
E. Bauer
Affiliation:
Physikalisches Institut, Technische Universität Clausthal, Germany
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Abstract

The nucleation and growth of facets on stepped Si(111) have been observed in real time using the newly developed technique of low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM). The results show that the growth of an isolated facet spontaneously stops at a well-defined size. This is a surprise as classical theories of the growth of linear facets predict a continuous growth, which would only be limited by collisions with neighboring facets. We review predictions that elastic interactions between surface regions of different structure can stabilize finite size domains and facets. We show that a model in which elastic relaxations caused by the facet boundaries stabilize a finite facet width is entirely consistent with the experimental observations.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 238: Symposium Cb – Structure and Properties of Interfaces in Materials , 1991 , 219
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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References

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