We report on measurements of step-step interaction on a flat Si(111)-(7x7) surface and on vicinal Si (001) surfaces with miscut angles ranging between 0.2 degrees and 8 degrees. Starting from scanning tunneling microscopy images of these surfaces and describing steps profile and interactions by the continuum step model, we measured the self-correlation function of single steps and the distribution of terrace widths. Empirical parameters, such as step stiffness and step-step interaction strength, were evaluated from the images. The present experiment allows to assess the dependence of the step-step repulsion on miscut angle, showing how parameters drawn from tunneling images can be used to interpolate between continuum mesoscopic models and atomistic calculations of vicinal surfaces.
Persichetti, L., Sgarlata, A., Fanfoni, M., Bernardi, M., Balzarotti, A. (2009). Step-step interaction on vicinal Si(001) surfaces studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. PHYSICAL REVIEW. B, CONDENSED MATTER AND MATERIALS PHYSICS, 80(7) [10.1103/PhysRevB.80.075315].
Step-step interaction on vicinal Si(001) surfaces studied by scanning tunneling microscopy
Persichetti L.;SGARLATA, ANNA;FANFONI, MASSIMO;BALZAROTTI, ADALBERTO
2009-01-01
Abstract
We report on measurements of step-step interaction on a flat Si(111)-(7x7) surface and on vicinal Si (001) surfaces with miscut angles ranging between 0.2 degrees and 8 degrees. Starting from scanning tunneling microscopy images of these surfaces and describing steps profile and interactions by the continuum step model, we measured the self-correlation function of single steps and the distribution of terrace widths. Empirical parameters, such as step stiffness and step-step interaction strength, were evaluated from the images. The present experiment allows to assess the dependence of the step-step repulsion on miscut angle, showing how parameters drawn from tunneling images can be used to interpolate between continuum mesoscopic models and atomistic calculations of vicinal surfaces.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.