Topography of Si(111): Clean Surface Preparation and Silicon Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Steps on clean semiconductor surfaces play a very important role in various physical and chemical processes. The use of double steps on miscut wafers may lead to a reduction of antiphase domain boundaries in heteroepitaxial systems. A knowledge of the density of steps during epitaxial growth has led to improved interface sharpness. Steps have also been employed in the growth of tilted superlattices with lateral dimensions smaller than the present capability of lithography. Information regarding the topography of a growing surface under conditions identical to those employed in a conventional MBE chamber is still much in need.