Abstract
We have developed a method for removing oxides and producing atomically flat Si(100) surfaces with single atomic height steps using a Si flux cleaning technique. By introducing a Si flux in the range 1.0–1.5 Å/s at the onset of an SiO2 thermal desorption step as low as 780 °C, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy images reveal smooth surfaces with atomically flat terraces with an rms roughness of 0.5 Å and single-step heights of 1.4 Å. STM reveals that A- and B-type steps are present across the entire area of the scanned surface. Desorption of the surface oxide layer with Si fluxes below this range results in rougher surfaces with pits ∼50 Å deep and 1000 Å across. For Si fluxes above this range, no pits are seen but atomic steps are not visible on the surface.
Keywords
Scanning tunneling microscopeMaterials scienceFlux (metallurgy)SiliconDesorptionAtmospheric temperature rangeOxideThermal desorptionSurface roughnessSurface finishAtomic force microscopySurface reconstructionAnalytical Chemistry (journal)Range (aeronautics)NanotechnologySurface (topology)OptoelectronicsChemistryAdsorptionMetallurgyComposite materialGeometry
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Publication Info
- Year
- 1997
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 70
- Issue
- 17
- Pages
- 2288-2290
- Citations
- 36
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
G. D. Wilk,
Yi Wei,
Hal Edwards
et al.
(1997).
<i>In situ</i> Si flux cleaning technique for producing atomically flat Si(100) surfaces at low temperature.
Applied Physics Letters
, 70
(17)
, 2288-2290.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.119083
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1063/1.119083