Structural study of ultrathin Sn layers deposited onto Ge(111) and Si(111) surfaces by RHEED

• Published in: Surface science Vol. 140; no. 1; pp. 37 - 63
• Main Author: Ichikawa, Toshihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.05.1984; Amsterdam Elsevier Science; New York, NY
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Metals, semimetals and alloys; Metals. Metallurgy; Physics; Specific materials; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Crystal growth; Stability; Support; Early stage; Experimental study; Thin film; Alpha form; Surface structure; Semimetal; Reflection high energy electron diffraction; Superstructure; Tin; Vacuum deposition; Thin coatings; Heat treatment; Temperature effect; Surface film; Phase transformation; Diffraction LEED; Sample preparation; RHEED diffraction; Exchange interaction; Light radiation; Germanium; Silicon; Microstructure; Surface conditions; Crystal structure
• ISSN: 0039-6028; 1879-2758
• DOI: 10.1016/0039-6028(84)90380-7

In order to investigate the possibility of the appearance of substrate-stabilized gray Sn, a small amount of Sn was deposited onto cleaned and annealed Ge(111) (2 × 8) and Si(111) (7 × 7) surfaces in an ultrahigh vacuum and then the structure of the Sn films formed was in-situ investigated by RHEED. The RHEED observations showed that ultrathin overlayers of gray Sn were formed, though not well grown, at the initial stage of the deposition onto Ge(111) substrates at room temperature, but on further deposition they became a disordered structure and did not grow into thick films of gray Sn. Subsequent high-temperature annealing of the Sn-covered Ge(111) and Si(111) surfaces led to the appearance of five new surface structures such as (3 × 2 3 ) and ( 91 × 3 ) structures at the Ge(111)Sn surfaces and ( 133 × 4 3 ) , (3 7 × 3 7 ) R(30 ± 10.9°) and (2 91 × 2 91 ( R(30 ± 3.0°) structures at the Si(111)Sn surfaces.