Morphology Analysis of Si Island Arrays on Si(001)
The formation of nanometer-scale islands is an important issue for bottom-up-based schemes in novel electronic, optoelectronic and magnetoelectronic devices technology. In this work, we present a detailed atomic force microscopy analysis of Si island arrays grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Recent re...
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Published in | Nanoscale research letters Vol. 5; no. 12; pp. 1882 - 1887 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
New York : Springer-Verlag
11.08.2010
BioMed Central Ltd SpringerOpen |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The formation of nanometer-scale islands is an important issue for bottom-up-based schemes in novel electronic, optoelectronic and magnetoelectronic devices technology. In this work, we present a detailed atomic force microscopy analysis of Si island arrays grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Recent reports have shown that self-assembled distributions of fourfold pyramid-like islands develop in 5-nm thick Si layers grown at substrate temperatures of 650 and 750°C on HF-prepared Si(001) substrates. Looking for wielding control and understanding the phenomena involved in this surface nanostructuring, we develop and apply a formalism that allows for processing large area AFM topographic images in a shot, obtaining surface orientation maps with specific information on facets population. The procedure reveals some noticeable features of these Si island arrays, e.g. a clear anisotropy of the in-plane local slope distributions. Total island volume analysis also indicates mass transport from the substrate surface to the 3D islands, a process presumably related to the presence of trenches around some of the pyramids. Results are discussed within the framework of similar island arrays in homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial semiconductor systems. |
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Bibliography: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11671-010-9725-8 |
ISSN: | 1931-7573 1556-276X 1556-276X |
DOI: | 10.1186/1556-276X-5-1882 |