Formation of thallium islands on the Si(111)-7x7 surface
- Physics Department and Basic Science Research Institute, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31 Hyoja Dong, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)
We have studied the formation of thallium (Tl) islands on the Si(111)-7x7 surface by utilizing synchrotron x-ray scattering. The Si substrate is found to maintain its 7x7 periodicity until metastable Tl islands of three different morphologies grow to their maximum size at room temperature. Analysis of several Bragg reflections from these Tl islands reveals that the three different types of Tl islands having different thermal stability can be characterized by their unique basal planes - (001) (100), and (101). Upon increasing the Tl dose the most abundant islands with a basal plane of (001) grow their lateral size up to a limiting value of 38 nm while their lattice parameter approaches a bulk value of 0.2996 nm. We interpret our data primarily in terms of strain-limited growth of the Stranski-Krastanov type.
- OSTI ID:
- 20719150
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 72; ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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