Application of hydrogenation to low-temperature cleaning of the Si(001) surface in the processes of molecular-beam epitaxy: Investigation by scanning tunneling microscopy, reflected high-energy electron diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4732073· OSTI ID:22089303

Arapkina, L. V.; Krylova, L. A.; Chizh, K. V.; Chapnin, V. A.; Uvarov, O. V.; Yuryev, V. A. ^[1]

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1. A. M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov Street, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation)

Structural properties of the clean Si(001) surface obtained as a result of low-temperature (470-650 Degree-Sign C) pre-growth annealings of silicon wafers in a molecular-beam epitaxy chamber have been investigated. To decrease the cleaning temperature, a silicon surface was hydrogenated in the process of a preliminary chemical treatment in HF and NH{sub 4}F aqueous solutions. It has been shown that smooth surfaces composed of wide terraces separated by monoatomic steps can be obtained by dehydrogenation at the temperatures Greater-Than-Or-Equivalent-To 600 Degree-Sign C, whereas clean surfaces obtained at the temperatures <600 Degree-Sign C are rough. It has been found that there exists a dependence of structural properties of clean surfaces on the temperature of hydrogen thermal desorption and the process of the preliminary chemical treatment. The frequency of detachment/attachment of Si dimers from/to the steps and effect of the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier on ad-dimer migration across steps have been found to be the most probable factors determining a degree of the resultant surface roughness.

• OSTI ID: 22089303
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 112, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AMMONIUM FLUORIDES
ANNEALING
DEHYDROGENATION
DESORPTION
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
HYDROGENATION
LAYERS
MIGRATION
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
REFLECTION
RESOLUTION
ROUGHNESS
SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
SURFACE CLEANING
SURFACES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY